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Hello I'm Chistobel and I'm Niamh and today we are going to be discussing decadence, agency
and ambiguity in Jean-Honoré Fragonard's best known painting, The Swing. Here to give
us some insider knowledge is Curatorial Assistant Carmen Holdsworth-Delgado.
Could you give us some information about how The Swing came into being?
A poet's accounts has it that the history painter Doyen was approached by an 'unnamed
person or gentleman of the court, who wanted to commission him to paint a picture of his
mistress on a swing, with him in the bushes hiding, and being pushed by a bishop. He specifically
said the lady on the swing should be showing her ankles and more besides, if you want to
enliven the picture further. Doyen was a little bit scandalised by this and he suggested that
Fragonard, instead, take over the commission. This painting was made in 1767.
How does Fragonard undercut the etiquette of French eighteenth-century society?
Well French eighteenth-century society, at this time, is well known for being quite libertine.
But they still had quite strict rules and regulations and one of those was that men
were allowed mistresses. Women possibly could have a fancy man if they wanted, however they
first had to provide a male heir to their husband and be very discreet about it. So
Fragonard was not undercutting society but just putting it overtly out there what everyone
knew to be happening at the time. To what extent do you think the lady is situated
as the object of desire versus the instigator of romantic intrigue?
That's a really good question, I think Fragonard leaves that completely open to us. It is very
ambiguous and it's a love triangle, even the composition shows us that. The lady is sat
on the Swing precariously balanced between two people. Women at the time did not have
much power in terms of money and lands (that went from father to husband if there was any).
But they did have influence and they had to use their wiles and natural beauty to gain
a position in Court. So she might hold the power and beauty at the moment, but the precarious
swing position shows us that it might not last.
How does Fragonard utilise the Rococo artistic styles of the age?
So firstly, Fragonard has created quite a small picture. In the Rococo, rooms became
smaller, cosier and more multifunctional. These were conversational pieces allowing
people to come up close to. It also shows a lovely lady in a beautiful pink dress. The
Rococo was well-known for its excessive use of textiles and people at this time would
have known other society portraits, maybe even of Boucher's Madame de Pompadour in a
similar dress. These portraits were different as the lady was static rather than in full
fluid movement and not showing more than her shoe. Lastly it's quite normal for ladies
to be shown with their favourite pet, Madame de Pompadour is shown with her faithful and
adoring dog. However, the dog in the Swing is jumping up and excited, showing that all
is not well in this relationship. Thanks for watching. If you're interested
in seeing The Swing in person then come down to the Wallace Collection and look out for
more podcasts online.