My Kid Could Paint That

Jean-Honore Fragonard, The Bolt, 1777

Crossing Boundaries
By EMMA SHAPIRO

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Stolen Kiss, 17

Awkward First Kiss
By ELIZABETH ELLIS

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Young Girl Reading, 1776

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Lock, 1779

By TROY WORKMAN

'Clack'. The heavy wooden door is sealed from the inside. You are now witnessing a private yet ominous moment. The soft and pale damsel in distress half-heartedly fends off the man's advances. Her face shifts in limbo between curiosity and complete rejection, and her arm is at his throat like a knife, but he simply moves further.

The blood red fabric draped around the bed stands for a passion that isn't present at this moment. There is no passion at all, only lust from the man. An innocent apple sits alone on the table, but that's all it took from Eve. "Just one bite", said the snake. That same snake coils himself around her, constricting her freedom, ignoring her disapproval. On the floor in the lower right corner are some flowers and a vase, which symbolizes women and female genitals. They are knocked over and strewn onto the ground, lying helpless waiting for the darkness to overpower them. Way up high and in the focus of the light is the lock, symbolizing men and male genitals. It is prominent and can trap the woman into submission, it has more status. Lastly, the chair with its legs in the air. The cloth and table covers it up and keeps it hidden. Quite like the man concealing his devilish act from outsiders.

Why would you want this? Because it radiates the injustice of inequality. It will remind you of the evil in humanity, it will keep you weary. Or maybe you and the man in that picture have something in common, you both should be sent to prison. Whatever it may be, this painting is truly moving, and strikes a looming sense of concern into your heart.

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.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, "The Progress of Love: Love Letters", 1771-72

By MEGAN GANNON 

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, A Portrait of a Woman and Dog, 1769

By REID GUEMMER

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.

Jean Honore-Fragonard, The Stolen Kiss, 1788

By ELLIE SCHNEIDER

Jean Honore-Fragonard’s The Stolen Kiss is the perfect addition to any collection. Completed in 1788, this work has a more realistic subject than previous pieces. The painting catches any eye with pastel colors on bottom contrasting with darker colors on top. The illuminated woman draws eyes to the center of the photo where one sees a flirtatious scene taking place. The young woman is seen kissing a young man while other women appear to play cards in the other room. The woman leans into the young man while he grasps her hand, but she looks back towards the doorway. She also holds onto her wrap, which sits about a side-table with an open drawer where ribbons pouring out of. Here, Fragonard hints at their sexual relationship. The curtains seem to engulf the young lovers in darkness. The shawl on the table hints to her needing to get dressed after sleeping with the young man. The painting showcases a snapshot of an intimate moment between the two lovers before they part. This promiscuous scene is similar to many of Fragonard’s paintings.

Technically, the painting is amazing. Fragonard's intricate details makes the painting look close to a photograph. Fragonard, a fan of Dutch artists such as Rubens and Hals, uses blended brushstrokes and little details similar to the Dutch. The young woman’s dress showcases Fragonard’s painting skills. The dress has amazing texture with wrinkles and pleats. The dress hints to the woman’s extreme riches, as does her furniture. The carpet, side-table, and curtains further showcase Fragonard’s technical abilities.

Why wouldn’t you want this beautiful piece in your library or above your mantel? Not only does this piece make a statement, it then starts a conversation. Every man should have this frivolous Fragonard as a great addition to any collection. The Stolen Kiss perfectly captures a moment of passion between two young lovers.

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.

This Girl is on Fire
Woman as Goddess
Curated by Emma Krasnopoler

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1767

The story here is clear: one girl, two lovers, and a secret rendezvous in a strikingly opulent forest. Both men watch the woman closely, yet they have very different views. But the hilarity of the painting does not end there. Only the woman and the viewers know about the two lovers. Perhaps they would see each other if they weren’t so distracted, but of course, neither bothers to lower his gaze. And then there’s that shoe, a perfect example of classic Fragonard eroticism of subtle implications. The woman gracefully lifts her left and sends the shoe flying – 10/10, perfect form.

Power and prowess, especially in the hands of a woman, is often depicted negatively. However, this particular woman does not play the villain in this story. Sure, she’s stringing two different men along, but neither one seems to be getting the short end of the deal. Furthermore, this woman is openly pursuing sexual enjoyment, yet we can be certain that she is not a prostitute. I’m not saying this woman is perfect, or even that she isn’t something of a sexual object, however there is an unmistakable dominance in her risqué actions and raised position above the tops of her lovers’ heads. She is the most prominent figure in the scene while her lovers remain in the shadows. She calls the shots here, taking full advantage of her life...and her men.

Fragonard, Bolt, 1777

Too much. It's just too much. The subject matter is enough in itself, but the movement and colors are the truly unsettling parts. Their interaction looks like a violent dance. From the sweeping gesture his arm makes for the bolt to the weak stretch of the woman's leg, the piece is tense and blatant in the most theatrical of ways. Fragonard's usual style is far different than a piece as dark as this one, but there are little tell-tale signs of his influence. The color of the curtain is reminiscent of the drapery in Caravaggio's Death of the Virgin, the dark red hue far too similar to blood. Her dress, even though it is so bright, cannot compete with the intensity of that red, slowly eating away the rest of the piece.

Looking at this piece for the first time, I couldn't even tell it was Fragonard's work. Parts are similar to his other works, but the subject matter is violent and serious and completely contrasting to the glamorous - almost comically so - scenes he usually does. There is blatant sexuality in all of them, but in others it is lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek rather than this dark scene. Immanuel Kant speaks of the Enlightenment era this piece was made in, saying that "Enlightenment is man leaving his self-caused immaturity." This rings true in this piece, with Fragonard's usually playful work taking a much more mature form. Isaac Newton takes this point further, speaking of the human body and how "the bodies which we handle we find impenetrable... we conclude that the least particles of all bodies to be also all extended, and hard and impenetrable, and moveable..." In this way, Fragonard extends his figures' bodies and fills up the space from arm to leg, with their interaction both frozen in time and taking place right before the readers' eyes.

I just want to run in there and stop him, to help push him off of her and unbolt the door. Her arm has such tension as she pushes against him, though her face confuses me. I can't tell if it is the face of someone who has resigned to her fate or if Fragonard just focused more upon body language. Either way, the tension between the two is palpable and overwhelms the piece, making even the gentle drapery feel like another obstacle to saving the woman. It feels voyeuristic and unsettling. But there's a small part of me that is in awe of Fragonard's ability to make both of those emotions come across so adeptly in just one half of a canvas. This piece is something special.

Fragonard, A Shaded Avenue, 1773

When I enthusiastically chose Fragonard in class this week, a few key words came to mind: "naughty", "hedonism,", and "trees." I scrolled through pieces like The Swing and the like, blatant eroticism abounding, and then I came upon this. There is nothing blatant about this piece other than Fragonard's pride in his trees. The entire scene is about the distractions around this couple's secret rendezvous, whether that be the girl picking weeds or the statue and those gazing at it in the corner, but especially the overwhelming archway of trees. It is intimate in the cleverest of ways, with the entire piece emphasizing how hard it is for these lovers to be alone with each other, finding the one place they can meet without disapproving eyes. The girl wears a bonnet and apron while her suitor wears a suit, so their class difference is apparent.

But the truly unique aspect of the piece is how inconspicuous every character in it is. There is no emphasis on the couple or the onlookers at all. They are all completely overshadowed by the trees reaching into the heavens. Fragonard uses similar colors all through the piece to blend the characters into these sky-scraping trees, with dark greens and browns giving the scene a far more natural tone than his usual work. Honestly, the colors make every part of the scene seem natural, in both the way of the vegetation and of their romance. Fragonard is awful sneaky...

Fragonard, The Progress of Love (The Pursuit), 1771

The dance is almost here and there's no time to dilly-Dali, so I guess it's time to step up and be a Manet? I spent a good long while trying to come up with the Wright way to ask you to the dance because it's Fragonard to come up with something creative, and all too easy to Bosch the job. So I hope I've proven myself to be "Duchamp of Invitations," and that you'll accept my humble pe-Titian. 

Jean-Honore Fragonard, The Fountain of Love, 1785

Oh living soul, who with courtesy and compassion voyage through black air visiting us who stained the world with blood: if heaven’s King bore affection for such as we are, suffering in this wind, then we would pray to him to grant you peace for pitying us in this, our evil end. 
- Inferno, Dante, Canto V

Fragonard’s characters approach the basin with eagerness, a sense of anticipation. Being tempted by the cherubs to drink from the fountain of love, the same fountain from where cupid dips his arrows. One sip of its sweet magic would bind the couple with a desire for one another.

This painting relates to Dante’s Inferno Canto V, through its subject matter. Fragonard creates a dark, soft atmosphere created by the light source and fog, and a gust that tears across the painting, which makes the couple’s presence seem forbidden as they tiptoe along the stone base. This wind adds to the rush of the moment. Her dress being pulled from her as she leans forward, the two of them connected by the beating of their hearts, exhilarated by the enormity of their actions. They seem like the lovers in the second circle of hell spun for eternity in a whirlwind, forever unable to touch each other, even though they are inches apart.

The painting represents a dark period of Fragonard’s life in the later part of his career. In the lead-up to The French Revolution Fragonard began to lose his clientele, for whom he painted the stunning settings and frivolousness of the aristocracy. The Fountain of Love returns to the subject he became most familiar with and the foundation of the majority of his work - desire. While the painting captures the moment of intimacy, he accomplishes it with a simplicity and darkness, unlike the rich colors seen in The Swing. This acts as a farewell, a reflection of his old patrons and the works he made for them.