Lecture on Fragonard's "The Swing"

Introduction

• Location: Wallace Collection, London
• Painting: "The Swing" by Fragonard
• Commissioned by a member of the French royal court
  • Initial request: Lover on a swing pushed by a bishop
  • Final rendition: Older man, not a bishop, in lower right

Themes and Context

• Nature of the Painting
  • Playful, erotic, sexually charged
  • Private commission for aristocracy
• Fragonard’s Career
  • Transition from formal history paintings to private commissions
  • Departure from royal commissions system

Artistic Techniques and Style

• Brushwork
  • Rapid brushwork creating energy
  • Visible oil paint on woman’s dress, bodice, lace
• Symbolism
  • "Menacing Love" sculpture by Falconet on left
  • Cupid figures on a dolphin fountain, lower right
• Rococo Style
  • Derived from Baroque, lacking seriousness but retaining energy
  • Diagonal lines creating movement, e.g., swing's rope

Elements of the Painting

• Key Features
  • Young woman in a pink silk dress
  • Details: bodice, décolletage, choker, hat, pink slipper
• Setting
  • Aristocratic garden, lush and fertile
  • Contrast with later Neoclassicism (e.g., paintings by David)

Historical and Cultural Context

• Rococo vs. Neoclassicism
  • Rococo: Indulgence, luxury, frivolity
  • Neoclassicism: Moral, severe, plain
  • Criticism of Rococo leading up to French Revolution
• Modern Interpretation
  • Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare's 3D representation
  • Focus on colonialism rather than sensuality

Conclusion

• "The Swing" as an expression of Rococo's luxury and indulgence