Putti as Fishermen, Francois Boucher (Paris, 1703 – 1770)

French school of Francois Boucher (Paris, 1703 – 1770)

Putti as fishermen (Allegory of water)

18th century

Oil painting on canvas
65 x 146 cm. – In frame 77 x 157 cm.

Full details (click HERE)

We present to you a splendid painting, the work of a French painter from the school of Francois Boucher (Paris, 1703 – 1770), depicting a triumph of the canons of the Rococo period, the lightest and at the same time most elegant of styles, capable of interpreting in painting the peculiarities of French society of the Ancien Régime.

Baroque painting, with its exuberance and massive forms, could not represent the aristocracy, which instead saw in luminosity, decorativeness, grace and idyll a more prestigious and representative language.

The composition, which with its elongated shape suggests that it was created as an overdoor, is derived from a composition entitled 'Putti as Fishermen', created in 1744 by François Boucher, one of whose versions is currently preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/47234).

In an idyllic landscape overlooking a body of water, three naked cherubs are depicted engaged in a playful fishing scene.

A putto, in the central position, stands on a bundle of hay, holds a fishing rod in his hand, and is immortalized with a proud expression after having caught a small fish. On the left, a putto is depicted turned in profile to the right, almost lying on the rock, in the act of showing a small fish to his companion, while the third, on the right, partially immersed in the water, holds a fishing rod, with his gaze fixed on the observer.

The scene is full of movement and light and captures the carefree joy of childhood and the generosity of nature. The soft and rounded forms of the putti, the delicacy of the line and the pastel palette are characteristic of Boucher's Rococo style.

The predominant feeling is the gracefulness that the scene offers, emphasized by the graceful poses of the protagonists, defined with light and bright colors, and enhancing the beautiful play of light and shade. Boucher uses the pastel range of his palette with ease and composes the attitudes of his figures with naturalness.

Francois Boucher and his workshop dedicated a large part of their activity to this type of subject, the symbol par excellence of the frivolous pleasures of life that the aristocratic class yearned for, thanks to the great fame of the master and the copious requests from collectors. Our work, chronologically datable to the second half of the eighteenth century, can be attributed to a student or a studio assistant of the French painter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is completed by a pleasant gilded wooden frame and is sold complete with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

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