Sweet as a Peach: fragonard

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

fragonard

I like art. I like history. So naturally, I like art history. I actually enjoy going to museums and art galleries (not so much the modern art though). Yea, I'm kind of a nerd there, but I can't help but admire the beauty and culture found in classical art.

Somewhere during my history/art studies, after seeing his painting The Swing, I learned of Jean Honoré Fragonard, a French painter during the Rococo period. Quick history lesson: Rococo was an art movement in the 18th century that was characterized by delicate colors and elegant, decorative curves, and often portrayed lavish, leisurely outings and pastoral scenes or mythic love.

The Swing (1767)

Fragonard (1732-1806) was a master of the Rococo period, having painted over 550 paintings, not including his drawings or sketches. He was popular among the French noble court of Louis XV and XIV, but left France during the Revolution only to return later to become ignored now that the world of noble patrons on which he depended was gone. He ended up becoming mostly obscure and died poor.

Shepherdess (1752)

His ending is sad considering the beautiful works of art he created in his lifetime. His paintings are colorful, playful, and joyful--depicting frivolous scenes of romance and myth. They convey poetic love and graceful leisure. I think they're wonderfully beautiful.