Art Blogging: Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) was a highly accomplished French Rococo artist in several different media. He studied under Boucher and Chardin and won the Prix de Rome in 1752, earning him a scholarship to Rome. Although influenced by the Italians in style, Fragonard's subject matter reflected the tastes of well-paying members of Louis VX's court.

During the Revolution, Fragonard fled to Provence, fearing retaliation for his aristocratic connections. He remained there until the early 19th Century, when he returned to Paris. He died in obscurity -- a status which remained until the late 20th Century.

The Swing (1767) is his most famous painting. Housed at the Wallace Collection, it displayed the dreamy, idyllic fantasies of the royal court. "Apres moi, le deluge," said Louis XIV. This blissful, childish existence crashed down around Fragonard because it was economically unsustainable and savagely tyrannical. In this painting, we see the worldview of the French aristocracy, beautiful and deluded. So though we admire the graceful loveliness of Fragonard's world (or that of his clients), it is a bittersweet thought, touched by an awareness of the social implications of the subject matter.


Here is The Confession of Love (1771), owned by the Frick Collection. I'm particularly delighted by this painting, since I own the same breed of dog pictured: the Papillon, symbol of the French monarchy (ours is named 'Sunny' after Louis XIV).

We see echoes of Adam and Eve in the Garden. They have no worries or concern; only love for each other. The romantic ambiance of this painting reminds me of the light-headed exuberance of dating my wife. I went about in a delighted daze, thinking only of her. Such is the ecstasy of young love.



In A Young Girl Reading (1776), Fragonard displayed Dutch influences that entered his work in the '70s. An increasing admiration of the works of Rembrandt impacted his draping and anatomy. This work reflects a popularization of domestic scenes during the era.

Like the Impressionists of a century later, Fragonard's brushwork is indistinct, rather than meticulous and exact. This painting features a soft vagueness foreign to Academic painting, and yet is more precise. Although this is an idealized portrait, it is not fantastic, like the Edenic paintings of royal court life.


A Young Girl Reading presently hangs in the National Gallery of Art.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention this interesting bit of trivia: Fragonard was the grandfather of acclaimed Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot.