Title: The Surprise

Artist: Antoine Watteau

La Surprise (The Surprise) 1718–19 Jean-Antoine Watteau French, Valenciennes 1684–Nogent-sur-Marne 1721 Oil on panel In a verdant park at sunset, a young woman abandons herself to her tousle-haired companion’s ardent embrace. The lovers are oblivious to the third figure, Mezzetin, a character from commedia dell’arte, the Italian comic theater, known for his musical gifts and amorous scheming. Tuning his guitar, Mezzetin observes the couple’s unbridled passion with a melancholy air. Watteau created and defined the genre of the fête galante, evocative outdoor scenes of amorous encounters and entertainment, including music-making. This painting, celebrated by the painter’s contemporaries and rediscovered only recently, is one of the genre’s finest examples.