The Swing by Fragonard has become the quintessential art piece of the Rococo Art Movement. By studying this playful, hedonistic piece you basically come to understand Rococo and the art history context of the time. This blog article covers some of the most common questions about The Swing:
- Who is the artist?
- Why was it painted?
- What’s going on in the painting?
- How is this painting Rococo?
Who is the artist of The Swing
Jean-Honoré Fragonard painted The Swing in 1767, which became his best-known painting. Fragonard is a well-known French Rococo painter who completed over 550 paintings. He was known for his hedonistic Rococo style.
Why was The Swing painted?
Although we don’t know for sure, the person who commissioned the piece is thought to be Baron Louis-Guillaume Baillet de Saint-Julien. Rumor has it that the baron wanted to be looking up the skirt of the swinging lady, while a bishop was swinging her (scandalous!).
Doyen was the original artist requested for the painting. But due to the sexual nature of the piece, Doyen did not end up taking the work. Fragonard took the commission and would later be thankful, as it propelled his career.
What’s going on in the painting?
The Woman
The focus of the painting is unmistakably the flirtatious woman on the swing. The lighting coming from the upper left hand corner and moving down towards the woman helps direct our attention to her. (Diagonals that help direct focus is a baroque art style, the art movement leading up to Rococo.)
You can see her shoe flying off as she flips up her dress. She doesn’t seem to be too worried about the man looking up her dress (scandalous!). In fact, she almost seems to be inviting his sensual gaze.
The Men
Besides the woman, we have two men in this painting. It looks as if the two men are not aware of each other’s presence. As previously mentioned, the man looking up the woman’s dress is said to be the patron who commissioned the piece. The man in the background (with a coy smirk on his face) is perhaps a bishop or other religious leader who is seeking a more “righteous” love. But little does he know that the woman is giving permission to another man to look up her dress.
The Statues
First, we have a cupid statue on the left side of the painting. You can see he is holding his finger to his lips, as if to say, “shh”. This helps add to the sensuality and nauthiness of the piece.
Just below the woman, you’ll also notice two more cupids attached to an aquatic animal. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty is said to be born of the sea. Therefore, she is often associated with aquatic animals, dolphins being the most common. All the more adding to the theme of love and sensuality throughout the piece.
The Garden
Finally, a couple of important aspects of the garden are important to point out. At first glance you may miss it, but in between the women and religious leader, you’ll notice what looks like a fence in the background. Perhaps this is a private, luxurious garden? A place for mischief to happen? Common to the aristocracy? These may be aspects that the patron or Fragonard himself was considering while painting The Swing.
In addition to the fence, there is some sort of barrier below the two cupids. Notice that the Bishop is outside the barrier, whereas the man looking up the dress is not. Hmm. . .
Lastly, the green lusciousness of the garden is difficult to miss. All the more adding to the feeling of abundant love, sensuality, mischief, and fun happening throughout the piece
How is Fragonard’s The Swing Rococo?
Fragonard’s The Swing has come to be known as the quintessential Rococo art piece. This piece fully embodies the history leading up to and surrounding Rococo and the important art characteristics and themes that come from the movement, including the following:
- The power and influence of the aristocracy
- Pastel colors with a more painterly style
- Lingering Baroque characteristics (the diagonal lighting)
- An absence of monarchy and religious themes that were common in previous art periods. (In this case, The Swing goes a step further with an almost rebellious tone towards religion.)
- Themes of sexual, mischievous love
These themes and characteristics are more sporadically found throughout Rococo art. But to have them all in one piece, and in prominent fashion, really makes The Swing by Fragonard the best example of what the Rococo Art Movement was all about.
If you enjoy Rococo and The Swing and/or need a good study guide, download a Rococo infographic PDF, which includes a summary of the movement and an analysis of The Swing.