Claude Gillot: Satire in the Age of Reason

The first English-language volume detailing the life and works of artist Claude Gillot as exhibited by the Morgan Library & Museum.

The history of eighteenth-century French art is dominated by great names, but Paris's artistic scene at the dawn of the century was diverse, including creatives who forged careers outside of the Royal Academy. Among them was Claude Gillot (1673-1722).

Author Jennifer Tonkovich chronicles Gillot's life, devoting six chapters to distinct aspects of his oeuvre. These intimate dissections span from his start as the son of a decorative painter to his arrival in Paris, culminating in one of the final projects of his career: designing costumes for the last royal ballet.

Exploring the inventive, renegade work of this designer, painter, and illustrator, Tonkovich skillfully contextualizes Gillot's enduring impact on Paris's artistic and intellectual landscape.