The Happy Accidents of the Swing or 'The Swing' by Jean-Honoré
Fragonard, is one of the most well known Rococo-style paintings. It was
originally created around 1767 and 1768. The painting portrays a young woman sitting
on a swing, wearing a frilly, long gown that billows around her as she swings
in the air. A young man lays on the grass beneath her, his eyes dazed and awestruck
with admiration. In the background, another man can be spotted, his hands
firmly clasping the structure of the swing as he begins the motion of pulling her
back. The painting was commissioned by Louis-Guillaume Baillet de Saint-Julien,
who had requested to have his mistress portrayed beautifully and he be admiring
her from below. Originally, he had asked Gabriel François Doyen for the
commission, but Doyen, believing the
subject to be too indecent, the artist directed the man on to Fragonard. In the
end, the painting is considered to be controversial, as it represents
flirtation, sexuality, and infidelity.
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