The Toilet of Venus
7:00 AMSticking to Boucher's ultra-extravagent style, The Toilet of Venus perfectly exemplifies a Rococo piece. Rococo art was most popular during the reign of King Louis XV. In this piece, Venus is modeled after a good friend of Boucher named Madame de Pompadour. Madame de Pompadour was a mistress of King Louis, which helped jump-start Boucher's career. Not only did the painting have a strong tie to politics at the time, but it also possesses many other Rococo aspects. In many Rococo pieces, there are upper class people doing something elegant. Though the painting is of Venus, it shows the elaborate lifestyle the wealthy French experienced.
The cherubs dressing Venus immediately reminded me of Snow White being dressed by the animals of the woods. The painting is so elaborate that it is obvious that its sole purpose was to showcase extreme wealth. The casual chaos of the jewelry and flowers show how the wealthy felt they were too good to care about even the nicest of things. The curtains in the background also provide a feeling of acting. Though the lack of realism of the setting is acceptable for Venus, it is meant to play up the luxuriousness of Madame de Pompadour. In addition, though the grace of God is not shown through beams of lights, Boucher uses white doves to represent de Pompadour's religious side.
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