Talagrepo ou Bonze du Pégou
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-495-9
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Antoine Watteau, the celebrated French Rococo master (4–1721), is best known for his enchanting *fêtes galantes*—elegant outdoor scenes of lovers and revelers. Yet this print, *Talag ou Bonze du Pégou* (dated 1731, a decade after his death), reveals his fascination with exotic characters. Likely an engraving after one of Watteau's figure studies, it depicts a "bonze" (Buddhist monk) from Pégou, an ancient name for Bago in Myanmar, capturing the artist's skill in rendering expressive poses and intricate costumes. Produced as a print, the work exemplifies the era's booming printmaking culture, ...