Monday, August 22, 2016

Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Inspiration

Pietro Liberi
Mythological Subject
c. 1660-65
Royal Collection, Great Britain

The painting above with two conspicuous beauties reveling amidst clouds and draperies was obtained in Italy for the British Royal Collection in the 18th century, about a hundred years after it was made. Already by the time of that purchase no one could remember the ostensible subject of the piece, and no one since has been bold or clever enough to assign a believable interpretation. As a generic Mythological Subject it was copied by the great Fragonard. He reoriented the image from horizontal to vertical and transformed it into an etching.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Two women on clouds
c. 1763-64
etching
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
The Warrior
c. 1770
Clark Art institute

Both The Warrior (above) and the copy after Rubens (below) allowed Fragonard to imitate the dashing brushwork of the 17th century, still paying his respects to bygone Baroque spirits.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard after Peter Paul Rubens
Nessus abducting Dejanira
ca. 1778
British Museum

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Angel with Palm & Crown
1763-64
etching
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Jean-Honoré Fragonard after Annibale Carracci
Two Prophets
1764
etching
National Gallery of Art (U.S.)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Seated young woman
18th century
drawing
Morgan Library, New York

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Stairway, Genoa
1761
drawing
British Museum

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
The Armoire
1778
etching
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
La fiancée du roi
18th century
drawing
Morgan Library, New York

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Young woman
ca. 1785
drawing
British Museum

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Sacrifice of Coresus
18th century
drawing
Morgan Library, New York

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Le petit parc
ca. 1763
etching
National Gallery of Art (U.S.)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Imaginary view of a Roman villa
1770s
drawing
Metropolitan Museum of Art