The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1767.
This painting is known in French as Les Hasards heureux de l’escarpolette, or The Happy Accidents of the Swing. My, whatever might those be? This young woman’s lovely pink slipper does go flying off her much elevated foot. Yet the young man lying below in the shrubery does not seem to be focused on the lady’s soon-to-be-lost shoe. Rather his wide-eyed joyful expression is aimed directly to what is under her skirts (naughty!) Given that women in that age, while sporting lots of petticoats, did not wear any panties, it makes this even naughtier. The grotto-like environment of this area surrounded by overwhelming trees allows for dark, shadowy areas where details may hide, like the figure of an older man (the husband?) who is pushing the swing. Two statues of impish little cupids seem to watch the scene as if to anticipate what troubles their arrows might be about to cause. There is a lot going on in those bushes! (I’ll let your minds wander.)
Fragonard (1732-1806), of course, was the favorite painter of Madame de Pompadour, and she, the favorite of King Louis XV of France. Sadly the artist’s style of painting became somewhat passé before Madame died, and worse when the French Revolution broke out. Fragonard high tailed it to Grasse, his hometown, where his family home can still be visited. Note: The lovely paintings that adorn the walls there are copies. The orignals were purchased by Henry Clay Frick in 1900 for his museum in New York City.
Here is the great lady herself, in a painting that screams, “Think Pink!” This is one of the many done of her by another of her favorite artists, François Boucher. Boucher of course had a penchant for a certain young model named Marie-Louise O’Murphy whom he painted lying on her stomach while sprawled upon a sofa. (See a critique of it here www.independent.co.uk) Louise went on to become another of Louis XV’s mistresses.
Mezzetin by Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718-1720 metmuseum.org
Louis XIV died in 1715 and most of the court moved back to their mansions in Paris from which they cast out the heavy Baroque decor in favor of that which was light, in search of a sort of eternal springtime. Much of the design work revolved around the use of shells, pebbles, small rock, stucco, and the like. From those shells, rocks, and pebbles called rocaille comes the name Rococo. Suddently as restraints were lifted, there was a lot of partying going on. It was the Roaring 20s fueled in 18th century style by a release from the repression of all that religion from the previous century.
No one captured the festive mood better than Jean-Antoine Watteau, whose paintings of richly dressed ladies and gents frolicking in luscious gardens, were also populated by commedia dell’ arte figures like the one above, dressed in striped costume with a floppy hat, knee pants and silvery white stockings (do notice the pink pom-poms on the shoes). Once again there is a figure in the darkness of this bountiful garden. Where might she be going? (Many were the allusions to assignations in the gardens.) Watteau’s most famous painting is Gilles or Pierrot, a character from the commedia, which oddly gives the flip side of all the merriment.
Here we see not just the character from the commedia dell’arte stock of characters but an actor in the costume of Pierrot, the lovesick clown. Pierrot’s unrequited love for Columbine puts him in competition with Harlequin, a battle that he loses since Columbine’s heart does not belong to Pierrot. The French call this painting Gilles, and he is the symbol of one who has lost his way. In the larger painting one sees his fellow actors laughing and having a good time, while this lonely figure stands full length in the foreground with his hands compliantly down to his sides and the face of someone who knows not who he is beyond his role on stage. Perhaps he is a true April Fool.
Il Ridotto by Pietro Longhi in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Hover over image to magnify.
Meanwhile in Venice, no place partied heartier than La Serenissima, where the custom of advertsing Venice as a city of charm used the yearly carnival as a lure. In the 18th century, the Rococo carnival began to last almost the whole year, which gave plenty of time for masked people (residents and visitors) to engage in mischief. Just think of Casanova who lived from 1725-1798, the perfect rococo character for the Rococo Age. The Venetian carnival became so notorious that in 1797, carnival was banned completely.
Thomas Gainsborough’s famous Blue Boy, 1770. Hover over image to magnify.
Let’s not leave out the distant shores of the British Isles. It was Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France that brought the foundations of Rococo to England, where one of its most famous pieces of the period was created. The piece, originally called Portrait of a Young Gentleman, was rumored to have been done as a tour de force painting to disprove Sir Joshua Reynolds’ contention that blue should only be an accent color. That seems indeed to have been a rumor started by the press. (Oh, the British tabloids, already in full swing.) However, the depiction of this fine young man (it is still not clear who the sitter really was) could represent either a young man of standing who might become someone’s eligible marriage partner or simply a study for an overdone costume for an aristocratic masquerade ball. The costume for a ball idea dovetails with the clothing not being from Gainesborough’s time but from that of the painter he most admired, Anthony Van Dyke, who lived and worked in England in the 1600s during the reign of Charles I (the unfortunate one who had his head lopped off).
Looking at the painting and its frills and frou-frou, one does still get to see exceptional painting. In particular in The Blue Boy (the name Gainesborough’s work eventually was given), one sees the amazing rendering of satin and lace as well as fine portraiture in the face of the young man. He is elegant from the shiny satin cape hung over his arm right down to the big blue satin bows on his shoes.
In terms of how all this came about, of course, one could guess what would happen after the seriousness and religion of the 17th century’s Baroque period. Based on normal human behavior, the mood would swing to happier more joyful images. Yes, but in this case, the swing just kept going higher and higher. Rococo (sometimes dated from 1700-1790) was the kicking off of the shoe! Everything went over the top and eventually spilled over into the French Revolution, which could be seen as the excessive counterswing to the wild and frivolous Rococo.
That is the thing about the Rococo. There was a fanciful lightness to it, at least for those in a position to enjoy its loveliness. Few were the hints of dark clouds on the horizon, though old Louis XV himself must have known, for he is credited with saying, “Aprés moi le deluge” or “After me the deluge.” Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com. Her author page is at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.
Images used are in public domain and/or linked to specific websites where further information is given.
Over the Top Wines, Good for that Rococo Feeling.
The Rococo looked for interesting combinations of things, and given that it was a movement in reaction to the stodgy, things that had a fresh new attitude were all the rage. Applying that to looking for wines to enjoy, sparkling wines certainly are at the top of the list, for nothing lifts the spirits like a glass of bubbly. The ones above bear considering if nothing more than they come from somewhat unusal places, England, Switzerland, Japan, as well as more commonly considered wine producers like Italy and Australia. Click the link above to check out what BeInspired has to say about them.
I went on a search with a few different criteria. I wanted choices that were light, summery, affordable but which also had some quirky differences. Here is what I found.
Summer in a Bottle by Wolfer Estate https://store.wolfer.com. It is a light sparking wine of pale golden color made mostly from Chardonnay but with Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc grapes. It is sophisticated, fruity and fresh. $26.00
Blanc de Bleu Cuvée Mousseux, a non-vintage brut that is true to its name – blue. It is flamboyant (how Rococo) but “delicious and pleasurable.” Pairs well with hors d’oeuvres. It is the first blue California sparkler. www.blancdebleuusa.com Their motto is “drink the unexpected.” $16.00
Peche Imperiale, well of course peaches are imperial. This one comes from La France from the region of Saumur in the Loire Valley. Made using the traditional Champagne Méthodoise, this sparkler is fruity with an “exquisite flavor” described as “unique and elegant.” $12.99 bottlerepublic.com
Rescue Dog, demi-sec, love the name because it has a raunchy side to it. They have a sparkling rosé, a demi-sec, and a blanc de blancs all between $27.99 and $37.99. And here is the Rescue Dog part, 50% of the profits go to animal rescue operations around the U.S.A. rescuedogwines.com
Finally, yes, I had to go there, just to honor the mistresses of Louis XV, Bitch Bubbly. This is a sparkling rose from Spain, and its story is what happens when you have thousands of cases of Grenache wine that you must find a way to use. $14.99 plummarket.com
Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day but none of these will fool you. Enjoy!
Note: I am not affiliated with any of the wines or wine merchants mentioned in this article.
©marjorie vernelle 2023