Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Fragonard’s joyous depictions of figures frolicking in landscapes embody the Rococo aesthetic perfectly. The idea of pleasure was central to his style of painting – a lesson he learnt while studying with Boucher. The five years he spent in Italy would also prove transformative - the lyrical landscape, Tiepolo’s extravagant compositions in Venice and the loose brushwork of the Dutch seventeenth century masters held in Italian collections; all made their mark on the young Fragonard. These influences culminated in the erotic paintings for which he is best remembered – produced to meet the lascivious tastes of Louis XV’s court. However, fashions were changing – frivolity was on the way out; seriousness was in. Faced with falling demand, Fragonard unsuccessfully tried his hand at the more austere Neoclassical manner. Worse was to come, when the French Revolution swept away the witty and light-hearted world that Fragonard had captured in paint. He died penniless and forgotten. However, his reputation was revived as later painters – in particular, the Impressionists – came to admire his vigorous and virtuoso displays of colour and brushstroke.