Love and Sensuality
Under the rule of King Louis XIV (1638-1715), artists’ careers were dominated by the Académie Royale de Peinture et Sculpture. The Academy trained and employed artists but, significantly, tightly controlled the kind of painting that was considered acceptable. Thus, artists produced work within the genres, or categories, available which included: history painting, portraiture, still life, ect. (Schmitter 401). After Louis XIV’s death, the government’s grip on painting loosened, and artists were left to explore new genres that did not fit any of the established categories. Another transformation that occurred was how the female was depicted; “the forbidding deity of the Grand Siecle, the grande dame and the grande passion, are given up for the pretty girl with the gentle and mischievous smile” (Saisselin 149). Rococo artists conventionalized women as mischievous but who also had a desire to please, and they constructed love as a game meant to be played, a fantasy, or a story (Saisselin 149, 150). Fragonard and Boucher both employ this technique of storytelling to characterize their subjects, create tension, and arouse the viewer.
In François Boucher’s The Dispatch of the Messenger, he tells a story. The subject, a boy, points a finger to direct the dove where to go. If one looks closer, it can be observed that he has also attached a letter to it. This boy is sending a love letter. What makes this painting so touching and almost dream-like is what surrounds the subject. The trees, in their undulating branches and leaves, fall perfectly to frame the figure. There are sheep and a dog peacefully resting in the grass. The nature surrounding the boy is so peaceful, and yet there is tension in the story; the boy must wait for a response. Also, he is surrounded by possessions he might use to entertain himself, such as the flutes or the basket; however, he is only focused on the love in front of him. All these details make this painting interesting to look at, the eye can easily travel around the piece, and the mind can dwell on the things of love.
Fragonard also paints a scene with a love letter. Here, tension is expressed in another way. The subject is positioned leaning over a bouquet of flowers, inserting a letter. This guarded positioning implies that perhaps the viewer has just walked in on her. Additionally, Fragonard uses composition and texture to create tension as well. The subject is almost folded into two diagonals: one from the bottom left to the middle, and the other from her midsection to her hat. These diagonals create movement, the eye follows them naturally. Furthermore, her dress as well as the lapdog both have intricate texture, while the chair, desk, and curtains are all less detailed. Again, this creates movement and texture. Fragonard portrays the excitement of love by creating a story and using diagonals and textures.
In Curiosity, Fragonard also uses the idea of intrusion to create a feeling of sensuality. Contrastingly, it’s the subjects of the painting who are intruding on the viewers. The two women peak from behind some drapes, one exposing her breast. She is trying to expose whoever she is spying on and yet, ironically, exposes herself in the process. Fragonard also incorporates flowers in reds and pinks in order not only to compliment their skin tones, but also to symbolise again the theme of love. The symmetrical composition is very unique, creating a kind of balance in the piece. Additionally, he uses light, bluish greys with warm pinks and pale to create a kind of soft sensuality in the atmosphere of the painting.
Boucher also tells the stories of Greek myths in his paintings. In Angelica and Medoro, Medoro carves their names into a tree branch, while she leans on him. In Jupiter, in the Guise of Diana, and Callisto, Jupiter discquises herself as Diana to manipulate Callisto to fall in love. By retelling famous tales of intense love, Boucher entertains the viewer. He captivates a viewer by not only telling a story, but by incorperating complex composition and dynamic color. Remy Saisselin describes the Rococo as a "dream of happiness", an art that exhisted purely to please and to provide escape for those who looked at it. Though love is generally an idea of freedom and self-expression, Boucher and others manufactured happiness. Perhaps this kind of art was made to distract from the political or social turmoil in France, perhaps it covered up something corrupt.