#rococo artist

[canvasmirror]

Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732−1806) • Self-Portrait • 1770 • Villa Fragonard, Grasse, France

[resplendentoutfit]

Robe à la Française • French • c. 1770 • Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rococo style embraced foreign styles with an inclusive, even rapacious eclecticism, but also with its own propensity to moderation and the small scale. During the period, Ikat, or warp-printed fabric, was modified to meet European taste. Saturated Eastern colors and bold geometrics became muted pastels in smaller floral and striped patterns characterizing many of the designs. – Metropolitan Museum of Art

Panniers or side hoops are women's undergarments worn in the 17th and 18th centuries to extend the width of the skirts at the side while leaving the front and back relatively flat. This provided a panel where woven patterns, elaborate decorations and rich embroidery could be displayed and fully appreciated. – Wikipedia

Jean Honoré Fragonard • The Swing • 1767 • The Wallace Collection, London

[pmamtraveller]

THE BLUE BOY | 1770 | by THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH

The painting depicts a young boy, likely GAINSBOROUGH'S nephew, standing confidently and looking directly at the viewer. He is dressed in a striking blue satin costume reminiscent of 17th century fashion, including a slashed doublet, breeches, and lace collar and cuffs.

The painting is a full-length portrait with the boy positioned in the center of the canvas. His left foot is placed in front of the right, creating a sense of movement and dynamism. The boy's pose and attire evoke the grand manner portraiture of ANTHONY VAN DYCK, which GAINSBOROUGH greatly admired

The satin of the costume is rendered with thick, lush strokes that capture the sheen and texture of the fabric. The boy's face is painted with delicate detail, highlighting his fair complexion and rosy cheeks. The landscape background is looser and more atmospheric, creating depth and a sense of atmosphere.

THE BLUE BOY was a bold departure from the prevailing artistic trends of the time, which favored warm, muted colors. GAINSBOROUGH'S use of vibrant blue as the dominant color was seen as a challenge to the advice of his contemporary, SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, who had advocated for the use of warm tones in portraiture

The painting stands as a masterpiece that transcends time, captivating viewers with its meticulous details, historical context, and artistic innovation, making it a timeless symbol of artistic excellence and cultural heritage.

[pmamtraveller]

MARIE ANTOINETTE IN A COURT DRESS| 1778 | by ÉLISABETH LOUISE VIGÉE-LE BRUN

The painting is a stunning portrayal of the QUEEN OF FRANCE. The painting is a beautiful example of VIGÉE-LE BRUN's skill as a portrait artist and captures MARIE ANTOINETTE'S beauty, elegance, and regal presence.

The composition of the painting is symmetrical, with MARIE ANTOINETTE standing in the center of the canvas. She is depicted in a full-length court dress, a style of dress reserved for formal occasions at court. The dress is adorned with intricate details, and is a testament to the opulence of the FRENCH COURT during the 18th century. Her posture is upright, with her head held high.

The Queen is dressed in an elaborate golden white dress. Her hair is piled high and she wears a feathery headdress. All around her are the accoutrements of her station: huge columns, a marble bust of her husband, LOUIS XVI, displayed high atop a pedestal and behind a table on which sits a crown. 

One of the most notable aspects of this painting is the attention to detail in MARIE ANTOINETTE'S face. VIGÉE-LE BRUN captures the queen's delicate features, including her porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, and full lips. Her eyes are bright and engaging, and her expression is serene yet with a hint of melancholy.

This is a departure from the typical formal portraits of the time, which often depicted subjects with stoic expressions. VIGÉE-LE Brun's portrayal of MARIE ANTOINETTE as a beautiful, humanized figure adds a sense of intimacy to the painting.

[pmamtraveller]

PIERROT |1719| by JEAN-ANTOINE WATTEAU

This painting (formerly known as GILLES) depicts PIERROT, a traditional character in Italian commedia dell'arte. He is elevated on center stage in what appears to be a garden and he faces the viewer with a downcast expression as his white satin costume dominates, its ballooning midsection lit up.

He seems almost like a two-dimensional cut-out figure. Other stock characters surround him but Pierrot remains separate as if he has stepped out of their scene. The negative space in the upper left further emphasizes PIERROT'S isolation.

WATTEAU pioneered the artistic representation of theatrical worlds, a distinctive Rococo genre, and he also recast the character of PIERROT from a kind of bumbling, lovelorn fool into a figure of alienated longing, the figure of PIERROT became a figure of the artist's alter ego, this painting influenced a number of later art movements and artists.

JONATHAN JONES wrote, "WATTEAU makes the fiction of the picture manifest," as the character, "in his discomfort and alienation, rebels not only against his stock character role in the comedy, but his role in this painting. His stepping out of the play is also a stepping out of the fiction painted by Watteau."