Lecture Notes: Fragonard's The Swing at the Wallace Collection

Overview

• Location: Wallace Collection, London
• Painting: "The Swing" by Jean-Honoré Fragonard
• Commissioned by a member of the French royal court
• Intention: To depict the commissioner's lover on a swing

Key Elements of the Painting

Characters and Setup

• Commissioner: Member of the aristocracy, part of the French royal court
• Bishop: Originally meant to be a bishop pushing the swing, now depicted as an older man
• Lover: Visible looking up the woman's dress, hidden in the scene
• Woman on Swing: Central figure, representing playful and erotic themes

Artistic Style

• Rococo Style: Playful, erotic, and indulgent
• Transition in Fragonard's Career:
  • Shift from formal history paintings to private commissions
  • Quick, rapid brushwork used

Symbolism and Techniques

Artistic Techniques

• Brushwork: Rapid, visible brush strokes enhance energy and movement
• Dress Details: Vibrant pink silk dress with lace and a bodice
• Movement: Captured through the swing's momentum, slipper flying off

Symbolism

• Sculptures: Menacing Love by Falconet
  • Left edge of painting shows a cupid with a finger to his lips, signaling secrecy
• Relief Sculpture: Depicts maenads or nymphs dancing
• Fountain with Cupids: Water spraying out, adds to movement and energy

Contextual Background

Rococo vs. Neoclassicism

• Rococo: Emerged from Baroque, energetic and indulgent
• Pre-Revolutionary Criticism:
  • Call for art with morals, in contrast to Rococo's sensuality
  • Rococo viewed as frivolous and luxurious

Modern Interpretation

• Yinka Shonibare: Created a 3D representation of "The Swing"
  • Focuses on the costs of colonialism over sensuality

Conclusion

• "The Swing" epitomizes Rococo's frivolity, luxury, and indulgence
• Historical and artistic significance as a playful, erotic masterpiece