Jean-Honore Fragonard: The Musical Contest
Jean-Honore Fragonard, (1732-1806), was a noteworthy master of French Rococo painting. In 1752, Fragonard won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy. His clients were mainly of aristocratic background and Fragonard painted and decorated interiors to suite their taste. The Swing is one of my favorite paintings that he has made in 1767. Another beautiful painting that Fragonard made earlier, in 1754 is called The Musical Contest. The Musical Contest is depicted in oil on a 62 x 74 cm canvas.
The Musical Contest takes place in a garden with a stone urn and a decoratively carved fountain on one side. The garden is filled with lush foliage that can be seen throughout the painting. In the center of the painting, we can see "a beautiful and elegantly dressed young girl, holding a parasol, who is depicted at the moment of choice between two prospective suitors." Both of the suitors are attempting to win the girls affection through their skills as musicians. The young man on her left, holding a flute in his hand, tries to get the girls attention by grasping her around the waist. To the girl’s right, another suitor gazes adoringly at her, while playing on his musette. The musette was popular between the patrons at the time the painting was made and Fragonard chose it to be the musical instrument in this narrative. The girls' right hand is stretched out above the young man below her and it appears that she is about to place the garland of pink flowers on his head. Her expression is that of a person that is confused before making a very important decision in her life. She looks like she is debating and weighing each suitor in her mind to see which one she likes most.
In The Musical Contest the light, falling from the top left corner of the painting, illuminates the white flesh of the girls breasts, propositioning an image of unrestrained sensuality. "In his almost prying representation of young lovers, Fragonard follows the precedent set by Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), who established the Rococo genre of the fête galante, a theatrical depiction of love in an arcadian setting." The theatricality of Fragonard’s subject is evident in the sweeping gestures of the female figure and the carefully arranged composition which draws our eye towards her.
Works Cited:
http://www.wallacecollection.org/whatson/treasure/11
I think this is a very interesting Rococo painting. In addition to Fragonard's depiction of these aristocrats outdoor entertainment, there is also an air of sensuality. I agree that the lighting in this painting makes this scene even more erotic. I enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteHannah Bennett-Swanson
Just so other readers are aware, a musette is a type of bagpipe. The bagpipe actually is traditionally associated with sexuality and lust, so it is appropriate that it is included in this painting that is dedicated to the theme of love.
ReplyDelete-Prof. Bowen
P.S. Did you notice the carved cupid figures on the fountain (in the background)? I like the one that is extending its hand into the cascading water.
There seem to be other symbols of love and sexuality along with the cupid figures. The fruit in the foreground, which symbolizes fertility and sexual abandon, the playing of music, which is seen as a sensual pleasure, and the tree which arches over the young lady and her chosen suitor, which reminds me of the tree that acts as a cloth of honor in the painting by Van Dyck, "Charles at the Hunt". It could be seen as a romantic symbol that love is honored between the couple.
ReplyDelete