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Historical Artist - Jean-Honor� Fragonard (1732 - 1806)
Jean-Honoré Fragonard studied under Boucher, and then in Rome studying the work of the
Old Masters. However, Fragonard was more attracted to producing landscapes of the Italian
countryside. On his return to France, his piece The Swing, displayed his ability to paint
playful figures and resulted in demand for more of his erotic pieces. Fragonard became the
leader of the Rococo style, flirting with the edge of decency in his paintings. In the
1780’s, Neoclassicism replaced the Rococo style, leaving Fragonard to live the remainder
of his life in poverty. Fragonard produced more than 550 paintings (not counting drawings and
etchings), of which only five are dated. Among his most popular works are genre paintings
conveying an atmosphere of intimacy and veiled eroticism. For half a century or more he was so
completely ignored that Lübke in his History of Art (1873) omits the very mention of his
name. Subsequent reevaluation has confirmed his position among the all-time masters of French
painting. The influence of Fragonard's handling of local colour and expressive, confident
brushstroke on the Impressionists (particularly his grand niece, Berthe Morisot, and Renoir)
cannot be overestimated.
Contemporary French Artists
Art Galleries in France
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