Biography

French painter, the nephew of Antoine Watteau. He and his son François-Louis-Joseph (1758-1823) were both known as 'Watteau de Lille'. Louis was born in Valenciennes but went to Lille in 1755 and taught drawing from the nude there: this caused such a scandal that he had to resign and did not return until 1775. He did not always imitate his uncle's works, often painting histories or religious pictures. His son worked in a style closer to his great-uncle's, and, like him, was influenced by Teniers.