Sketch The Swing by Fragonard (show
pic of sketch) If this is a quintessential Rococo work, describe Rococo art.
How does The Swing portray aristocratic subjects' light-hearted self-absorption,
pursuit of pleasure, and disregard for ethical concerns? Discuss how and why
middle class responses to prints of such works prompted Diderot's call for
moral art.
At the beginning of the 1700s, and at the end
of the reign of Louis XIV, there is a noticeable shift away from classicism and
"Grand Manner" (based on the art of Poussin) that had governed the art
in France, toward a new style of art called Rococo. This signifies a shift away
from the monarchy and towards the aristocracy as seen as characterizations of
the art of this period. The art subject during this period and the life
style of the aristocracy are defined as leisure as a pursuit and became involved
themselves in romantic intrigues. Indeed, they created a culture of luxury and
excess that formed a stark contrast to the lives of most people in France.
The swing portrays
aristocratic subjects of light-hearted self-absorption, pursuit of pleasure,
and disregard for ethical concerns. For example we see the light-hearted
self-absorption in the way that the painting is specifically about the two
lovers. Not anyone else, it’s all about their relationship. The background can
be considered bland and uneventful for the eye and this helps keeps the
painting all about them. The background doesn’t catch our eye or draw us in
because we are caught up in what is happening between the lovers.
This also portrays
a pursuit of pleasure because this depicts a plan by the lady and the lover (the
one not holding the ropes in the bottom left corner) to get the servant to
swing the lady and then she can allow the lover to look up her skirt. He doesn’t
want the servant to know this is happening so he is hiding in the bushes. This
story illustrates that there is a pursuit of pleasure going on.
This picture
definitely reveals that there is an element of a disregard of ethics. During
this time period it was extremely wrong for this type of behavior and actions
to be carried on. That is one reason why they have to hide to carry out their
scandalous acts.
During this time period there was a decline of
the aristocratic and a uprising of the middle class. This new rising social
class had a set of morals that they believed strongly in. Also one reason for
the fall of the aristocrats was a change in the way of thinking concerning
politics and just the way of life. The commoner people wanted more control and
were incited to climb out of their poverty and be a part of their own government.
And so it was painting like this that philosophers of the Enlightenment condemned.
They demanded a new style of art, one that showed an example of moral behavior,
of human beings at their most noble. Really it was the Enlightment and the rise
of middle class morals that drove these types of painting away.
