This painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard is a favourite for two reasons: its richness and the window it opens on the society and culture of France in the dying years of the Ancien Régime. The three participants are carefree, but for different reasons. The girl is central to the relationship-triangle here and to the composition (excepting the girl, in her cloud of pink silk and lace, the rest of the artist's palate is quite dark) and although on the swing she is in complete control of the situation.To see the painting in more detail click on the image to enlarge it. The painting is in the Wallace Collection in London. A short article on the painting is at Wikipedia, where you will also find an article about the artist, Fragonard. To me Fragonard seems to be very much a trail-maker for artists such as Renior. In a future post I may write about another of his works which I like, A young girl reading.
Image: © The Wallace Collection, London.
