Description of the picture:
Cupids (allegories of painting) – Francois Boucher. 1760s Canvas, oil.
The French artist Francois Boucher is best known to the general public for the special patronage of King Louis XV and his favorite Madame de Pompadour. Being an adherent of elegant painting of the Rococo era, his canvases in most cases represented pastoral, mythological and serene genre scenes.
The versatility and efficiency of François Boucher is still amazing. The artist created a huge number of paintings, prints and panels. In addition, the master was engaged in painting theatrical scenery, wallpaper, porcelain and cardboard for tapestry manufactories. Whatever Bushe was passionate about, every work became a true hymn of love, vitality and sensuality.
The painting “Cupids – an allegory of painting” was мейд in the late period of the artist’s work. This time was quite difficult for Boucher. The artist has already begun to lose its former popularity, moreover, his work has been severely criticized. During the Enlightenment, his style began to seem too cutesy, mannered and artificially embellished.
However, while working on the canvas, which is paired with the painting “Cupids – an allegory of poetry”, he does not change his earlier passions and views on artistic techniques.
The plot of the work is a symbolic image of one of the main types of art – painting. In the picture, two pink-cheeked cupids, sitting in the clouds, enthusiastically sketch with the plaster head of the goddess. Nearby are the artist’s most important tools: a palette with traces of paint and a bunch of brushes. The canvas is written lightly and airy, almost all lines are soft, round. The image is distinguished by the porcelain purity of colors and the presence of the artist’s favorite color combination, consisting of delicately golden, light pink and blue."
