No. In 1904 Claude Debussy wrote a piece for solo piano titled "L'Isle Joyeuse", which may have been inspired by the painting; the colorful and brilliant piano writing depicts the ecstasy of the lovers. It was around 1717 that Watteau painted his first, more literal version of the theme, which nonetheless bears a compositional similarity to the Louvre painting. Title valse-musette pour deux pianos Composer Poulenc, Francis: Opus/Catalogue Number Op./Cat. Watteau himself purposely did not give an answer. With its light and wispy brushstrokes, the hazy landscape in the background does not give to any clues about the season, or whether it is dawn or dusk. Many art historians have come up with a variety of interpretations of the allegory of the voyage to the island of love. 1951 First Pub lication. The work celebrates love, with many cupids flying around the couples and pushing them closer together, as well as the statue of Venus (the goddess of sexual love). L'embarquement pour Cythère Alt ernative. Other articles where L’Embarquement pour l’île de Cythère is discussed: Antoine Watteau: Watteau’s Cythera. This work is now in the When Watteau was accepted as a member of the Academy in 1714, he was expected to present the customary In years after Watteau’s death, his art fell out of fashion. There are three pairs of lovers in the foreground. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! : …his three versions of the “L’Embarquement pour l’île de Cythère.” The myth of the island of Cythera, or of love, has distant roots in French and Italian culture, in which the journey is depicted as a difficult quest. Four decades later, Debussy's compatriot Francis Poulenc wrote a lively piece for two pianos which took the name of the painting for its title, "L'Embarquement pour Cythere". FP 150 I-Catalogue Number I-Cat. It has often been noted that, despite the title, the people on the island seem to be leaving rather than arriving, especially since they have already paired up. No. IFP 27 Key E-flat major Movements/Sections Mov'ts/Sec's: 1 Movement Year/Date of Composition Y/D of Comp. "Watteau" in During the Humphrey Wine and Annie Scottez-De Wambrechies. While the couple on the right by the statue are still engaged in their passionate tryst, another couple rises to follow a third pair down the hill, although the woman of the third pair glances back fondly at the goddess’s sacred grove. File:L'Embarquement pour Cythere, by Antoine Watteau, from C2RMF retouched.jpg File:The Embarktion for Cythera.jpg File:Watteau, pellegrinaggio all'isola di citera, 1717, 01.JPG At the foot of the hill, several more happy couples are preparing to board the golden boat at the left. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.