A Portrait of a Woman and Dog
7:00 AM |
| Jean-Honoré Fragonard, A Portrait of a Woman and Dog, 1769 |
Fragonard’s A Portrait of a Woman and Dog was completed in the height of Rococo style painting. It encapsulates everything a painting of this era should be. The woman in the painting is styled much like Marie de Médicis’s court dress in a painting done by Rubens. The similarity between the two paintings automatically associates them in status. Although as you are a buyer of the upper class, I’m sure you have noticed the woman’s over-sized pearls and brooch. Given their size they must have either been painted in too large of proportion or were fake. It seems as if the woman attempts to pose as a higher status than she actually is, which must be very entertaining for you and your friends to see. Along with this the contrast in size between the dog and the woman adds yet another comical aspect to painting. You can’t quite pinpoint what creates it, but the combination of the two creates an entertaining and conversational piece.
Fragonard has created yet another amazing piece using wide brush strokes and a vibrant color palette. Differing than the vast majority of paintings done by the acclaimed artist, Portrait of a Woman and Dog is not at all scandalous. This is your opportunity to own the work of one of the most valued artists of our century’s work without taking too much of a risk on content and avoiding the questionability to whether it can be displayed in a proper home.
Editor's Note: The authors were asked to write sales copy for Edme-François Gersaint, the prominent rococo art dealer who offered a printed catalog of available works.
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