Following Spring Break, April 1st brings us to the beginning of our study of the Rococo period. We see multiple themes of the Rococo period throughout the works we looked at. Most profoundly, though, Jean-Antoine Watteau’s 1717 A Pilgrimage to Cythera (fig. 4) reflects Rococo themes of theatricality, illusion, sensuality, nature, and playfulness to create a world of fantasy. Moving on in the class, we looked at Jean-Antoine Watteau’s Gersaint’s Signboard and Seated Young Woman, both workings typical of Watteau — intricate use of light and dark along with details referencing beauty and a sense of sensuality.
Next, we looked at François Boucher, Portrait of Madame de Pompadour and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing. The Swing in particular presents a baron lying in a pastoral scene below his swinging mistress, with “fantasy, flirtatiousness, and licentiousness” (Janson 22.1) all coming together amid vibrant colors and gentle light. Continuing class, we looked at Jean-Baptiste Honoré Chardin, Back from the Market, Chardin, Boy Soap Bubbles, Chardin, La Brioche, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride or The Marriage: The Moment When a Father Gives His Son-in-Law a Dowry, and lastly, William Hogarth, The Orgy, scene III of The Rake’s Progress. Ultimately, while I only speak about a few works, the Rococo period provokes sensuality, drama, a sense of escapism, and wealth, and these themes are portrayed though the works we focused on during class.