Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Fragonard

• At the basis of Fragonard’s young adulthood; his mother brought him to Boucher’s studio in the 1700’s. Boucher advised that Fragonard primarily study the essentials of painting with Chardin. Fragonard later became Boucher’s assistant and was later influenced to enroll in Prix de Rome, a three to five year scholarship awarded to top students majoring in painting or sculpting. Following Boucher’s death, Fragonard transitioned to an interior decorator. In the late 1700’s he produced 14 canvasses which were rejected by Madame du Barry because they were old fashioned. In Fragonard’s painting he demonstrated fast brush work that characterized his technique.

A Young Girl Reading• Circa 1766• Oil on canvas• A Young Girl Reading is one of many paintings

that Fragonard depicted using young girls in moments of solitude.– Friends of Fragonard have said that he had

painted these paintings in under a hour using thick, energetic brush strokes as seen in this painting, showing his painterly style.

• Her collar has been scratched onto the surface of the canvas.

• Contrasting to the Renissance, the three main colors in A Young Girl Reading are saffron, lilac, and magenta, not the primary colors of red, blue and yellow.

• X-rays have shown the painting has been painted over another that Fragonard had painted earlier.

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The Meeting• The oil on canvas painting The Meeting

exploits rapid brushwork and naturalism through the narrative scene.

• Ending Rococo art, Fragonard produced work projected or old-fashion by his commissioner, Madame du Barry.

• In 1771-73, the Rococo style of 17th century life portrays through the light source from the upper left corner and open form through the realistic scene.

• The angle of the fence and statue add depth to the image while the emotional and dramatic scene rendered by light colors illuminates from Fragonard’s work.

• The viewer’s eyes absorb multiply focus points through the statue and two figures contriving a unity within the piece.

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