French painter and engraver of the 18th century, a major figure of the Rococo style. Renowned for his amorous scenes full of virtuosity and lightness, he embodies the refined art of the waning Ancien Régime.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard(1732 — 1806)
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
France, monarchie constitutionnelle française
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1732 in Grasse, died in 1806 in Paris
- Pupil of Chardin and then of François Boucher
- Won the Prix de Rome in 1752 and stayed in Italy
- Painted The Swing (Les Hasards heureux de l'escarpolette) around 1767, an emblematic work of the Rococo
- His career declined with the French Revolution, which condemned the aristocratic art of the Rococo
Works & Achievements
A history painting that earned him the Prix de Rome at the age of twenty. It reveals his early mastery of grand composition.
The work that opened the doors of the Royal Academy to him and that Diderot praised with admiration. A pinnacle of his ambition in history painting.
His most famous painting, an emblem of the gallant Rococo. A young woman on a swing loses her slipper under the gaze of a hidden suitor.
An intimate, theatrical scene of remarkable virtuosity in its handling of light. It illustrates Fragonard's evolution toward a more dramatic style.
A series of large decorative panels commissioned by Madame du Barry and ultimately rejected. Today it is one of the most admired decorative ensembles of the 18th century.
A portrait of a reader in profile, executed with striking freshness and speed. One of his most famous “figures of fancy.”
A composition of nymphs in a lush landscape, a whirl of flesh and foliage. The manifesto of his Rococo sensuality.
Anecdotes
Fragonard had first been placed as a clerk with a Parisian notary, but he drew constantly instead of copying out legal documents. Faced with this lack of interest in law, his parents agreed to entrust him to a painter, and that is how he became the pupil of Chardin and then of François Boucher.
In 1752, at only twenty years old, he won the prestigious Prix de Rome with his painting *Jeroboam Sacrificing to the Idols*. This award opened the doors of the École royale des élèves protégés to him, followed by a stay of several years in Italy to study the old masters.
His most famous painting, *The Swing* (Les Heureux Hasards de l'escarpolette), is said to have been commissioned by a courtier who wanted to be painted admiring his mistress on a swing pushed by a bishop. A first painter, shocked, refused the subject, and the commission fell to Fragonard.
During the Revolution, the painter Jacques-Louis David, a former rival of the Rococo style but an admirer of the man, saved Fragonard from poverty by securing him a post on the commission charged with organizing the future Louvre museum. The Rococo artist thus became one of the first guardians of the national collections.
Fragonard worked with astonishing speed: some of his *figures de fantaisie*, vividly colored portraits of friends dressed up as romantic characters, are said to have been painted in just one hour, as indicated by inscriptions on the backs of the canvases.
Primary Sources
The High Priest Coresus sacrifices himself to save Callirhoe. Diderot devotes a long reverie to this painting by Fragonard, a sign that it was noticed by the critics of his time.
Record of Jean-Honoré Fragonard's acceptance into the Royal Academy upon presentation of his painting “Coresus and Callirhoe.”
An account reporting that Fragonard, deliberately neglecting the official exhibitions, sold the bulk of his output to private individuals and collectors.
“Painted by Fragonard in 1769 in the space of one hour.” An annotation attesting to the artist's virtuosity and speed of execution.
Key Places
Town in Provence where Fragonard was born in 1732, famous for its perfumeries. He returned there at the end of his life during the Revolution.
Capital where he spent most of his career, studied under Boucher, and died in 1806. It was the heart of the artistic life of the Ancien Régime.
Where Fragonard stayed as a resident after winning his Prix de Rome, studying the Italian masters. This stay left a lasting mark on his art.
Italian gardens whose groves and fountains Fragonard sketched with his friend Hubert Robert. These sketches fed into his future landscapes.
Fragonard obtained an artist's lodging here, then took part in organizing the future museum during the Revolution. The site of his final official role.
Typical Objects
Fragonard's favourite tools, as he painted in swift, dashing strokes. His virtuosity lay in the freedom of his gesture.
A swing hanging in a garden, the central motif of his most famous painting. It symbolizes the carefree spirit and flirtatious dalliance of the aristocracy.
Sticks of red and white chalk that Fragonard used for his spirited preparatory drawings. Red chalk lends sketches warmth and liveliness.
A metal tool used to incise a copper plate for etching. Fragonard was also a recognized engraver, spreading his compositions through prints.
A silk gown with wide pleats falling down the back, worn by the elegant women in his paintings. These shimmering fabrics let the painter display his mastery of colour.
A wooden board on which the artist laid out and mixed his pigments. Fragonard's favoured the pinks, blues and soft greens of the Rococo.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
Fragonard reached his studio early, often set up in the galleries of the Louvre where the king's artists were housed. He prepared his colours, reviewed his red-chalk sketches, and sometimes received a model for a posing session.
Afternoon
The afternoon was devoted to working on large canvases or decorative panels commissioned by financiers and courtiers. Renowned for his speed, he could complete several studies in a single day.
Evening
In the evening, he frequented the salons and the art lovers who made up his clientele, or met up with fellow painters such as Hubert Robert. Fashionable socialising was an integral part of an artist's profession under the Ancien Régime.
Food
Like the well-off Parisian middle class, he ate meals based on bread, meats, vegetables and wine. Coffee and chocolate, fashionable drinks in the 18th century, enlivened the conversations in the salons.
Clothing
He wore the dress of an 18th-century man: a justaucorps coat, waistcoat, breeches and stockings, sometimes protected by a work smock in the studio. To appear in society, a powdered wig and fine fabrics were essential.
Housing
Fragonard enjoyed an artist's lodging at the Louvre, a privilege granted by the king's household. These apartments served as both home and studio, at the heart of Parisian artistic life.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Le Verrou
vers 1777
Les Progrès de l'amour
1771-1773
La Liseuse (Jeune fille lisant)
vers 1769
Les Baigneuses
vers 1765
