Francois was born on September 29, 1703 in. The son owed his talent as an artist to his father. He achieved little in life, but, like most parents, he tried to give his offspring a good education and teach the basics of their own craft. Already at the age of seventeen, Bush went to work in an engraving workshop, where he began to earn his living on his own. Being a sociable person, he easily made useful contacts and “overgrown” with connections, many of which are so useful on life path. Like many talented young artists, winners of the Prix de Rome competition awarded by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Boucher visited Italy. There is no doubt that the cradle of antiquity influenced the formation of its creative individuality. Upon his return, his career took off.
A successful marriage soon followed. With his wife, the artist painted many "nymphs" on his canvases. To achieve fame, Boucher did not disdain anything and was a jack of all trades: he worked for the opera, helping to create scenery for performances; developed sketches theatrical costumes; glued wallpaper; made carriages; collaborated with the factory of royal tapestries. As a result, very soon he became a very wealthy man and could already afford to treat orders selectively. The patroness of Boucher was Madame Pompadour herself - the favorite of the king. Perhaps the connection between them was not only at the level of friendly relations, for family life Bush himself was far from idyllic, even despite the fact that three children were born in the marriage.
Thanks to Pompadour, Boucher received the most profitable orders, helped in the design of the court theater, collaborated with the Sevres porcelain manufactory, and even received a personal workshop in the Louvre. Very few artists received the latter honor. The pinnacle of his career was the title of the first court painter and the post of director of the Royal Academy (1761). Rushing to power and preparing the ground for their coming to power, the enlighteners furiously denounced Bush as the bearer of all kinds of vices, as a man without conscience and honor. In part, they were right, but in the emotional heat, of course, they "went too far." Francois Boucher was elected an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The artist died on May 30, 1770. After death, the work of Bush for a long time tried to consign to oblivion. It took time for his "rehabilitation".
The work of Francois Boucher
The heyday of Boucher's artistic talent fell on the Rococo era. This style was courtly, serving the unpretentious tastes of the French royal court. Items are in vogue applied arts- elegant trinkets, porcelain figurines, caskets, ottomans, vases, snuff boxes. Art has lost its depth. "After us - even a flood" - these royal words very accurately characterize the very spirit of the era. Frivolous erotic scenes begin to prevail in painting, there are many naked female nature. In the work of Bush himself, nymphs and Venus now and then flicker. And the titles of the works speak for themselves - "Triumph of Venus", "Toilet of Venus", "Bathing Diana". However, Bush was not going to invest in his paintings of deep moral sense and load them intelligently. He worked hard and willingly to order, did it quickly and efficiently. From this he lived, and was constantly in demand. He knew how to enjoy the beauty of life and encouraged others to do the same. The rococo style was his native element, here he felt like a fish in water - naturally and organically. Decorative, elegant intimacy, boudoir atmosphere, pastel shades- these are the main features artistic style Francois Bush.
Francois Boucher
One of the brightest representatives of the rococo genre, the great french painter, decorator, engraver.
François Boucher was born in Paris on September 29, 1703. His father, Nicolas Boucher, was an artist. He made a living by drawing prints and patterns for embroidery. WITH early years François helped his father in the workshop.
The father, having discovered talent in his son, assigned him as a student to Francois Lemoine. Boucher spent several months with Lemoine and later remembered him without much gratitude.
At the age of seventeen, Boucher entered the workshop of the engraver Jean-Francois Kars, which allowed him to earn a living on his own, as well as make useful contacts - with high-ranking clients of his mentor.
In 1722 François Boucher was commissioned to illustrate a new edition of “ French history” Honore Gabriel Daniel, and in 1723 the painter received an academic award for the painting “Evil-merodach, son and heir of Nebuchadnezzar, freeing King Joachim from the shackles”. In 1725, Boucher presented several paintings to the exhibition of young authors and was invited by de Julien to collaborate in the publication of the works of Antoine Watteau.
In 1727, he went to Rome at his own expense, where he most diligently studied Albano and Pietro da Cortone, with whom he was often compared later, and copied a whole collection of heads from the Trajan's Column (published by Hutin). Modern critics found that the paintings painted by Boucher, upon returning from Italy, were distinguished by beauty and masculine strength; this applies perhaps to paintings that have come down to us only in engravings published by Lavrenty Kars, since their originals have disappeared.
November 24, 1731 B. was admitted to the academy, and in 1732 wrote "Venus ordering weapons for Vulcan Aeneas."
Real recognition came to Bush in 1737, when his paintings first appeared in the Salon. In the same year, he began working for the Opéra in Paris, designing sets and costumes for ballets, operas and dramatic performances. Somewhat earlier, in 1734, his collaboration with the Royal Tapestry Manufactory began. By the end of the decade, the position of the master was so strengthened that he could no longer worry about his future and the future of his children (Boucher had three of them - two daughters who later married his father's students, and a son who, like his father, became an artist) .
Moreover, he began to allow himself to be very selective about orders. Remarkable, for example, is the story of his relationship with Count Carl Gustav Tessin, the Swedish envoy in Paris. Their correspondence acquaintance took place approximately in 1737, when the count, who was still in Sweden at that time, tried to order a painting from the artist through his Parisian agent. The agent did not hesitate to answer: “I saw Monsieur Boucher ... But when he announced to him the price offered, he did not even want to talk to me. He currently receives at least 300 livres for each of his paintings. This is a very busy young man, he works at the court of the king and considers himself one of the most famous painters of our time. To tell the truth, in Paris he is really considered one of the best.
In the late 1740s, Madame Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV, became Boucher's patroness. She took drawing lessons from the artist - at least that was official version. And I paid a lot of money for these lessons. In the salons, they said that between Madame Pompadour and the painter there are by no means only friendly relations. Thanks to the connections of the king's mistress, Boucher was able to receive very lucrative orders from the chief manager of the royal estates - including decorative painting at Versailles.
Being a passionate admirer of the theater, Madame Pompadour ordered to build for herself in Versailles small theater. For him, Bush (by that time already an experienced theater artist) designed sets and costumes. And soon the almighty Madame found for him new job- to make sketches for services and porcelain figurines produced at the factory in Sevres. It was in the second half of the 18th century that small town near Paris became famous for its porcelain. One must think that the works of Bush played a significant role here.
After the revolution of 1789, the work of the artist, who "soiled" himself with proximity to the royal court, was forgotten. Down to the middle 19th century François Boucher was remembered only with a contemptuous grin. But with the advent of the multi-volume work of the Goncourt brothers " Art XVIII century" the attitude towards the "first court painter" changed, and he again took his rightful place among the masters painting XVIII centuries.
B ear and rococo
R okoko
Rocaille
A style in art (mainly in interior design), which arose in France in the first half of the 18th century (during the regency of Philip of Orleans) as a development of the Baroque style. characteristic features rococo are refinement, a large decorative load of interiors and compositions, a graceful ornamental rhythm, great attention to mythology, personal comfort. The style received its highest development in architecture in Bavaria.
François Boucher was a typical representative light, festive, elevated decorative arts rococo. His painting was influenced by the work of Antoine Watteau, but the slight sadness seen in his paintings was alien to Boucher. We can say that Watteau gave Rococo the spirit, and Boucher - the flesh. The master's canvases are full of sensuality, but in a French manner: when love is able to take the form of a beautiful game.
In the rich pictorial heritage of Francois Boucher, who worked in the sensual and refined Rococo style, one of the most popular paintings is "The Bath of Diana". The most beautiful Olympic goddess Diana appeared on the canvas french artist the most charming enchantress, resting after her hunting amusements on the bank of the stream. Bush did not strive to follow exactly in writing her image. Greek myths about the goddess. He is not interested in mythology as such, he only uses it as a convenient pretext for depicting the naked female body, young and beautiful. His Diana is a gentle creature, accustomed to bliss and care, she lives only to give pleasure to greedy looks.
To paintings by Francois Boucher (works)
Oh resting girl
The painting belongs to famous paintings in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek. This is one of the best works Francois Boucher, who, being the court painter of Louis XV, depicted the life of that era rich in sweets and comforts.
The figure of a young girl is depicted in a very unusual and complex pose. The back of the sofa is uncomfortably high for such a position of the body and the legs, so lustfully buried in pillows, are not able to serve as a support for a curved body. Boucher masterfully solved this problem and very entertainingly presented the movement and the few objects in the picture.
Sofa, curtain and wall - gently olive color and differ only in material; an expensive dark pink silk bedspread that gives depth to the picture; a light blue silk ribbon woven into the girl's hair and curled in her hands. Light blue and pink are the main colors of Rococo.
TOILET
1742 Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid
Diana after swimming
(1742 Paris, Louvre)
T toilet of Venus
The “Toilet of Venus” was ordered to the artist by his patroness, the favorite of Louis XV, Madame Pompadour, for her Chateau Bellevue near Paris. Madame Pompadour herself played leading role in the performance of the same name at the theater of Versailles.
On the canvas, Venus looks like a court lady of the 18th century: she has a “porcelain” face with a languidly playful expression, the gestures of a charming simper, a characteristic hairstyle with naturally lying curls, and all of her, despite the splendor of her forms, looks like a doll. Cupids do not so much dress up this charming coquette as they play with her hair and jewelry. Pigeons, sacred birds, curl around Venus, one of them nestles against the chest of the goddess. The body of the beauty is painted in rare and refined, but somewhat unnatural colors. Bush did this consciously: he did not seek to imitate nature, explaining this by the fact that nature is also imperfect.
Oh dalisque
1745. Louvre Museum, Paris.
This portrait of a half-naked young woman is also known as the Dark-Haired Odalisque. A naked young woman lies on a bed framed by luxurious draperies. Openly challenging, she flirts with the viewer, looking out of her boudoir. Boucher's painting is a kind of quintessence of frivolous excesses of the middle of the 18th century, and he himself is one of the most consistent representatives of the Rococo style. In his youth, Boucher was strongly influenced by the work of Antoine Watteau, many of whose paintings he engraved, and in the 1740s he achieved the patronage of Madame de Pompadour.
Thanks to her influence, Boucher becomes the first painter of Louis XV. Bush was one of the most fashion artists-decorators in Paris, and his charmingly flirtatious paintings of mythological subjects depicting nymphs and goddesses were supposed to please the tastes of those representatives of high Parisian society, whose elegant mansions he decorated. Ideally embodying the conventions of the Rococo age, Boucher seemed to want to say in his paintings that nature appears to be "excessively green and poorly lit."
P beautiful cook
1735 Paris, Museum of Cognac-Get
fashionista
Pan and Syringa
Syringa (Syrinx), in Greek mythology Naiad, who revered Artemis and therefore strictly kept her virginity. Pan, seized with love passion, pursued the nymph Syringa. Syringa fled from Pan, who was pursuing her, to the Ladon River, where she asked for help from her nymph sisters and from the river deity. Therefore, it was turned into a reed by the deity of the Ladon River when the god of fields and pastures Pan touched Syringa. Pan carved a shepherd's pipe-syringa from reeds.
Syringa - among the ancient Greeks musical instrument(pipe), which was considered an accessory of the Arcadian god Pan and at the same time the Greek shepherds. Siring was done in the following way. They took 7 (sometimes 8 and 9) hollow reed stems and attached them one to the other with wax, and the length of each tube was made different so that you could have a full scale. There was also a Siring flute from a single stem: in this case, it was played in the same way as modern flutes are played, namely through the side holes. Siringa was the ancestor of the modern organ.
Madame de Pompadour
(1756. Alte Pinakothek, Munich)
François Boucher was never a master portrait painting. Of the nearly a thousand paintings of portraits painted by him, there are hardly a dozen and a half.
"Portrait of Madame de Pompadour" from the Alte Pinakothek in Munich is one of the most famous. With a book in her hands, she is reclining on a couch in her boudoir, and there is no doubt that the details of her dress, from the variety of lace to the pearls on her wrist, and the details of the interior are the most refined and most fashionable that could exist at that time. historic moment. And it was Madame de Pompadour who introduced such shoes with heels without a back, as in the picture. By the way, she, having encountered in Versailles with a suffocating aromatic composition of sweat, urine and dust, introduced the habit of washing often - before that, ladies preferred to drown out body odor with a piercing aroma of perfume. And Boucher is good at conveying the feeling of freshness and purity emanating from the marchioness (literally, not figuratively). They said about Madame that "she is fragrant with roses." Unable to convey the fragrance, Boucher decorated her dress with roses and threw a couple of roses on the floor at the feet of Pompadour.
You can’t call Bush a deep psychologist: his portraits do not carry any special insights, do not show traces of a tense inner life. He is not inclined to expose his characters, but, fortunately, he does not flatter them too much. And if he flatters, it is not rude: Madame de Pompadour Boucher portrays confident and calm, without a shadow of cheap flirting with the audience. The book in her hand (the pages are obviously tattered from careful reading) and the bookcase behind her back only state her brilliant education, which even her ill-wishers would not deny.
Fountain of love
1748, the year of writing The Fountain of Love, is exactly the year when Boucher began working for Madame de Pompadour.
Pastorals, fetes galantes (the so-called "gallant festivities"), light and refined love scenes become the main subjects of painting. Until recently, your ancestors decorated the stages with ceremonial portraits and solemn canvases with the heroes of antiquity. But you, a contemporary of the Marquise de Pompadour, of course, will not allow such an oversight. Do you know what's in fashion these days? What used to be considered low and unworthy. Shepherds and shepherds! Besides, who cares about the front rooms now? All important questions decide in alcoves, chamber salons, cozy boudoirs. That's how much things have changed! No wonder they say that fashion is a windy and unpredictable lady.
Source - the Internet.
Francois Boucher (1703-1770), French painter, engraver, decorator, “the first painter of the king”, one of the most prominent masters of the Rococo style, the legislator of all types of art in France at the beginning of the 18th century. Boucher's first mentor was his father, Nicola Boucher, a modest art teacher and embroiderer. Then Boucher was a student of Francois Lemoine for some time, after which he entered the training of the engraver Jean-Francois Kars, who was involved in compiling vignettes, coats of arms and emblems for Freemasonic diplomas. In 1722, Boucher was commissioned to illustrate a new edition of Honore Gabriel Daniel's French History, and in 1723 Boucher received an academic award for the painting Evil Merodach, son and heir of Nebuchadnezzar, freeing King Joachim from the shackles. In 1725, Boucher presented several paintings to the exhibition of young authors and was invited by de Julien to collaborate in the publication of the works of Antoine Watteau. In 1727, Francois Boucher went to Rome at his own expense, where he diligently studied the work of the painters Francesco Albani and Pietro da Cortona, with latest artist were often compared later on. Modern critics of the 18th century found that the paintings painted by François Boucher on his return from Italy were distinguished by beauty and masculine strength; this applies, perhaps, to the paintings that have come down to us only in engravings published by Lavrenty Kars, since the originals of these paintings have not been preserved. On November 24, 1731, Francois Boucher was admitted to the academy, where he painted the mythological painting Venus and Vulcan with Arms for Aeneas. In 1734, Boucher was awarded the title of academician for the painting "Rinaldo and Armida", and in the same year the artist decorated the queen's room in the Palace of Versailles with allegorical figures of Compassion, Abundance, Fidelity and Prudence. In 1755-1765, Boucher directed the Royal Tapestry Manufactory in Paris, from 1765 Francois Boucher became director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
The forties of the 18th century were the heyday of the Rococo style in French art, which reflected the aristocratic ideals of the noble society.
Bathing of Diana, 1742 Birth of Venus, 1740
Louvre Museum, Paris National Museum, Stockholm
by the most famous artist Rococo was Francois Boucher, who, in addition to painting, worked in all types of decorative and applied arts: he created cardboard for tapestries, drawings for Sevres porcelain, painted fans, performed miniatures and decorative paintings. Boucher's painting fully reflected the decorative principles of the art of his time. Bush at the start creative way was influenced by Antoine Watteau (he engraved the artist's paintings), later he painted plafonds, panels, paintings with mythological, pastoral, genre scenes, elegantly coquettish portraits, idyllic landscapes, sustained in soft silver-green tones.
Landscape near Beauvais Mill at Sharaton
One of the favorite genres of Rococo painting was pastoral motifs, the plots of which the artists found primarily in ancient mythology.
The talented decorator Francois Boucher was the creator of the art of mindlessly festive, based not so much on the observation of life as on improvisation. The “first artist” of King Louis XV, a favorite of the aristocracy, director of the Academy, Boucher designed books, executed decorative panels for interiors, paintings for tapestries, headed weaving manufactories, created scenery and costumes for the Paris Opera, etc. In his paintings Bush turned to mythology, allegory and pastoralism, in the interpretation of which the features of sentimentality and sugaryness were sometimes manifested. Coquettish Venus and nymphs, carelessly playful cupids, pastoral characters indulging in pleasures love, heroes his ornate paintings. The artist captured their pale pink bodies with blue and pearl transitions of shadows and midtones, piquant faces, graceful movements, often falling into mannerisms. Francois Boucher built compositions on a complex interweaving of curly lines and figures, brilliantly mastered angles, effectively used draperies, garlands, flowers, swirling clouds, surrounding the characters with them.
Associating compositions with the solution of rococo interiors, the artist preferred light colors, based on pink-red, white and pale blue tones. Not devoid of observation, as evidenced by his drawings and genre paintings, Boucher did not strive for the veracity of images, usually in his interpretation of sensually idealized and monotonous.
Toilet of Venus, 1751
By the time of the heyday of Boucher's work belongs "The Toilet of Venus" (St. Petersburg, the Hermitage), a composition imbued with a wave-like rhythm, cheerfulness and serenity reign in it. "Shepherd's Scene" (St. Petersburg, Hermitage) gives an idea of Bush's pastorals, entertaining and playful, full of irony.
Shepherd scene early, 1730s
The lyrical traits of Bush's talent appeared in his decorative landscapes with the motive of rural nature, with intimate corners near dilapidated mills and huts. graceful, graceful figurines his ancient heroines look like porcelain figurines.
Boucher loved light painting and preferred elegant blue, pink and green tones. In some paintings by Boucher of the 1720-1730s, warm and rich in color (“Hercules and Omphala”, State Museum fine arts, Moscow), echoes of Flemish art are noticeable.
In more later works(“The Bathing of Diana”, 1742, Louvre, Paris; Portrait of the Marquise Pompadour, 1752, Wallace collection, London) with an abundance of shades of pink and blue, winding intertwining lines and complex angles, the decorativeness characteristic of Rococo, sensuality, somewhat cutesy grace, the impression of “porcelain ” figures.
Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour, 1756
In the second half of the 50s of the 18th century, Boucher's work became too abstract and cold, the painting was rigid, false pathos appeared in the compositions. Creative crisis Boucher reflects the degradation of the Rococo style caused by the general decline of aristocratic culture. Boucher died on May 30, 1770.
The most talented student of Boucher, the artist Jean Honore Fragonard, inherited from the Rococo master the elegance in interpreting the figures and the plot of the picture, the boldness of color and the freedom of composition. Boucher's outstanding decorative and picturesque gift was appreciated by his contemporaries. However, Bush's fame soon after his death fell completely under the influence of the reaction of classicism. Francois Boucher was accused of corrupting youth, and the best of the artist's paintings did not find buyers. These unjust accusations have now lost their meaning, contemporary criticism gives François Boucher a place of honor among artists french school painting of the 18th century.
A true representative of the French Rococo. Boucher was officially called the "First Artist of the King", was the director of the Academy, and had the honorary right to occupy an apartment in the Louvre. And perhaps all of France was aware of the goodwill towards him of the all-powerful favorite of the king, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, the Marquise de Pompadour.
And he was a true son of his age, who knew how to do everything himself: panels for hotels, paintings for rich houses and palaces, cardboard for the tapestry manufactory, theatrical scenery, book illustrations, drawings of fans, wallpapers, mantel clocks, carriages, sketches of costumes, etc. easel paintings he looks like a panel, the panels can also look like independent works. However most famous enjoy his paintings. Involved in youth oil painting, the artist has never changed this technique.
And all this - gallant festivities, pastoral idylls, mythological, genre, religious themes, landscape - everything is played out like a contemporary pastoral, everything expresses a frankly sensual enjoyment of life, a white-pink heroine reigns in everything - the goddess Flora, but in fact dressed up in a shepherd's attire, an aristocrat, everywhere a Parisian who looks like herself, and it does not matter whether she is Venus or a shepherdess. Everywhere the artist depicted young model with radiant eyes, with a seemingly casual, but seductive carelessness, wrapped in delicate fabrics, surrounded by flowers, fluttering erotica. Typical plots- "Triumph of Venus" or "Toilet of Venus", "Venus with Cupid" (with Vulcan, with Mars), "Bathing of Diana", etc.
Already a famous artist, Boucher becomes the object of the most severe attacks by the theoretician of the aesthetic ideas of the Enlightenment, Diderot, who saw in the artist the product of everything that the enlighteners fought against. However, he did not deny him professionalism. And despite this criticism, Boucher's works were very popular. They were bought by kings and emperors, dukes and counts, rich bourgeois.
Boucher came from a poor family, he achieved success solely through his work. He received his initial training in the workshop of François Lemoine. Here the ability to "think in colors" developed, to see the idea in large color relations. Later, he studied drawing and etching techniques at the workshop of Jean-Francois Cara-père. Thanks to him, Boucher got acquainted with the work of Watteau, whom Kara-father greatly revered; and Boucher himself always painted in the Rococo style, as did Watteau. All his life he wrote "excitedly", left an incredible a large number of paintings, tapestries, drawings, engravings and other works. And even being already a prosperous artist, favored by the authorities, he worked hard and fruitfully. Fascinated by the work of old masters, Boucher gave a lot of energy to collecting. With a special passion towards the end of his life, he collected drawings and engravings by Rembrandt.
Bush was very popular in Russia. He was even invited to the post of professor at the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, and Bush accepted the invitation, but the death of the artist did not allow these plans to come true.
The more you look today at Boucher's canvases, at this joyful painting shining with light, trembling with delicate color shades, you realize his amazing talent, the more you feel a truly integral, aesthetically full-blooded art.
Today, Boucher's paintings adorn the halls of the most prominent museums in the world. These works carry a feeling of the fullness of life, enchant with a joyful gift of color harmony, free and jubilantly bright craftsmanship. It was not for nothing that Denis Diderot, who criticized him, paying tribute to his talent, could not help but say: "He has so much imagination, effect, magic and lightness!"
Francois Boucher (September 29, 1703, Paris - May 30, 1770) - French painter, engraver, decorator. Bright representative artistic culture rococo.
Biography of Francois Boucher
François Boucher was born in Paris on September 29, 1703. His father, Nicolas Boucher, was an artist. He made a living by drawing prints and patterns for embroidery. From an early age, Francois helped his father in the workshop.
The father, having discovered talent in his son, assigned him as a student to Francois Lemoine. Boucher spent several months with Lemoine and later remembered him without much gratitude.
At the age of seventeen, Boucher entered the workshop of the engraver Jean-Francois Kars, which allowed him to earn a living on his own, as well as make useful contacts - with high-ranking clients of his mentor.
Since 1720, Boucher studied with F. Lemoine, a well-known muralist; then he worked in the workshop of the engraver J. F. Cara Sr., studying the art of book design and engraving.
In 1722 he was commissioned to illustrate a new edition of Gabriel Daniel's French History, and in 1723 he received an academic award for the painting Evil Merodach, son and heir of Nebuchadnezzar, freeing King Joachim from the shackles.
Participation in 1722-1723 in the creation of etchings for the Julien Collection, in which all the works of Antoine Watteau were reproduced in engraving, allowed him to get acquainted with the works of this artist, to learn his compositional techniques.
In 1723 Francois Boucher won the Prix de Rome from the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. This victory gave him the right to study in Rome, but there was no vacancy for the winner in the Italian branch of the academy. The young artist managed to go on a trip to Italy only in 1727.
Creativity Bush
1731-1760 - this period was the heyday of Bush's talent. He creates canvases on mythological and biblical stories, paints pastorals, scenes in the interior, landscapes, creates scenery for the ballet "Perseus" (1746) and the opera-ballet "Gallant India" (1735), works for tapestry and porcelain manufactories.
François Boucher quickly became one of the most fashionable artists of the day, and Pompadour's teacher and favorite.
During his biography, Francois Boucher completed a huge number of paintings, jewelry, engravings, decorative fabrics, and often designed the stage for ballet and opera. As a result, he earned many pedagogical, service honorary titles, in particular for tapestry work. For some time Fragonard was his student.
The Louvre Museum "The Wallace Collection" presents selected works Bush. His works "Toilet of Venus", "Birth and Triumph of Venus" (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) are exhibited in the USA. Some of the artist's paintings are in the Frick Collection Museum, as well as the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Created numerous series of engravings, illustrated books by Ovid, Boccaccio, Moliere. He worked in many types of decorative and applied arts: he created scenery for operas and performances, paintings for the royal tapestry manufactories; performed ornamental paintings of Sevres porcelain, painted fans, performed miniatures, etc.
The work of Boucher as a painter is exceptionally multifaceted; he turned to allegorical and mythological subjects, depicted village fairs and fashionable Parisian life, painted genre scenes, pastorals, landscapes, portraits.
Boucher was awarded many honors, including the title of court painter (1765). He was actively involved in decorating the residences of the king and Madame de Pompadour, private mansions in Paris. The mistress of Louis XV, the Marquise de Pompadour, whom he captured in several portraits, was his admirer.
IN last years life was the director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and "the first painter of the king."
The best works of Boucher are distinguished by their extraordinary charm and perfect execution.
Artist's work
- Diana after the hunt, oil on canvas, 37 x 52 cm, Musee Cognac-Get, Paris.
- Hercules and Omphala, 1731-40, oil on canvas, 90 x 74 cm, Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow.
- Venus asking Vulcan for weapons for Aeneas, 1732, oil on canvas, 252 x 175 cm, Louvre, Paris.
- Portrait of Marie Buseau, the artist's wife, 1733.
- The Rape of Europa, 1732-34, oil on canvas, 231 x 274 cm, Wallace Collection, London.
- Rinaldo and Armida, 1734, oil on canvas. 135.5 x 170.5 cm, Louvre, Paris.
- Triumph of Pan, 1736, National Gallery, London.
- Breakfast, 1739, Louvre, Paris.
- Birth of Venus, 1740, oil on canvas, 130 x 162 cm, National Museum, Stockholm.
- Triumph of Venus, 1740, oil on canvas, National Museum, Stockholm.
- Leda and the Swan, 1741, oil on canvas, private collection.
- Diana Resting After Her Bath, 1742, oil on canvas, 56 x 73 cm, Louvre, Paris.
- Diana after the hunt, 1742, Musee Cognac-Jay, Paris.
- Cupid's Teaching, 1742, Charlottenburg Museum, Berlin.
- Toilet, 1742, oil on canvas, private collection.
- Landscape with a Hermit, 1742, Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow.
- Jupiter and Callisto, 1744, oil on canvas, 98 x 72 cm, Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin, Moscow.
- Odalisque on a blue sofa, 1745, Louvre, Paris.
- Portrait of Madame Bergeret, 1746.
