Good morning!
Welcome to the fifth issue of the Monday Morning Dispatch.
Today, I'd like to share with you Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing. This Rococo gem was created in 1767 for a private patron and has remained one of the most celebrated works of its time. The Swing beautifully illustrates the playful and elaborately decorative style that defines the era. In this issue, we also explore how the fluid dynamics and vibrant textures in Fragonard’s work resonate with the elegant shifts between adagio and allegro in Handel's Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 4: I. Adagio - Allegro, brilliantly interpreted by The Avison Ensemble under the direction of Pavlo Beznosiuk.
I invite you to take a moment to listen to this beautiful piece of music and immerse yourself in the painting. Then, continue reading to uncover the fascinating historical and artistic significance behind these masterpieces.
The Painting
The Swing / L'Escarpolette
The Swing, also known as "The Happy Accidents of the Swing" ("Les Hasards heureux de l'escarpolette"), was commissioned in 1767 by a French aristocrat who asked Fragonard to depict his lover on a swing. Initially, the scene was to feature a bishop pushing the swing, but Fragonard ultimately portrayed the figure as an older man, subtly positioned in the lower right corner. The patron himself is concealed in the foliage, looking up the woman’s skirt. The painting’s playful and erotic nature made it too provocative for public display, so it remained a private commission, intended for the discreet enjoyment of its aristocratic owner. This work, like many from the Rococo period, was created for private, intimate viewing rather than public exhibition.
It also marks a transitional period in Fragonard's career. He had previously been known for large-scale, formal history paintings, which were highly regarded in the system of royal commissions and the academy. These history paintings depicted scenes from mythology, French history, and ancient Greek and Roman history, emphasizing moral and didactic themes. The Swing, however, represents a shift away from these grand subjects to more intimate and private commissions, characterized by rapid brushwork and an emphasis on light-hearted, romantic themes.
Fragonard’s technique in The Swing is notably different from his earlier works. The painting is executed with quick, fluid brushstrokes, particularly evident in the woman's dress, which radiates energy and motion. The vibrant pink silk dress, edged with delicate lace, and the whimsical pink slipper flying off her foot, capture the playful and dynamic nature of the scene.
The painting is filled with symbolic details that amplify its erotic themes. On the left edge, there is a sculpture by Rococo artist Falconet called Menacing Love. This sculpture features a Cupid with a finger to his lips, suggesting secrecy and discretion about the scene. Below this sculpture, there is a relief—a type of sculptural artwork where the figures are raised above the background—depicting dancing maenads or nymphs. Maenads are followers of the Greek god Dionysus, known for their ecstatic dancing, while nymphs are minor nature deities. These figures emphasize the themes of revelry and sensuality. In the lower right corner, two Cupid figures are riding a dolphin styled in a classical manner, which is part of a fountain. The water from the fountain is shown playfully spraying out, adding to the lush and fertile atmosphere of the scene.
At the center of the painting is the young woman, who captures the viewer’s attention with her exuberant dress and playful demeanor. She sits on a swing suspended by ropes, set in an opulent, cultivated garden. The luxurious setting, with its abundant and fertile nature, mirrors the sensuality of the scene. The woman's lover, positioned in the lower left, gazes up at her with an expression of rapt admiration and desire.
Rococo art, which evolved from the Baroque period, retained the latter's sense of movement and energy but discarded its seriousness and moral weight. The Swing embodies this transition, with its lively composition and indulgent subject matter. The painting’s use of diagonal lines, particularly the rope of the swing, creates a sense of movement and energy that was a hallmark of the Rococo style. However, the Rococo style eventually fell out of favor, particularly as neoclassicism rose in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Neoclassical artists like Jacques-Louis David emphasized moral and virtuous themes, contrasting sharply with the frivolity and indulgence of Rococo works.
Fragonard's The Swing is currently housed in the Wallace Collection in London. The painting represents the Rococo era's focus on themes of love, playfulness, and private pleasure. It highlights a time when art was cherished for personal enjoyment and created for intimate settings, allowing for a more private and profound appreciation.
The Music
To fully appreciate Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing, I’ve chosen to pair it with Handel's Concerto grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 4. This baroque composition, with its delicate balance between an allegro that feels vivacious and serene adagio sections, perfectly mirrors the dynamic interplay of light and motion within Fragonard's iconic Rococo painting.
George Frideric Handel, a pivotal composer of the Baroque era, was known for his ability to blend dramatic intensity with intricate orchestral textures. Born in 1685 in Germany, Handel spent most of his career in England, where he composed some of the period's most enduring music. The Concerto grosso in D Major, part of a collection of twelve concerti grossi, showcases Handel’s masterful use of the baroque orchestra, allowing for a rich interplay between soloists and full ensemble.
This particular concerto grosso uses a style where different parts of the orchestra seem to talk to each other, mirroring the playful and secretive mood of The Swing. The opening part, called the adagio, is slow and thoughtful, creating a sense of suspense. This leads into the faster allegro section, which reflects the sudden, energetic motion of the woman on the swing moving through a vibrant garden. Just like the music's lively allegro parts bring energy and joy, Fragonard’s painting is full of movement and life, with fluttering clothing and a lively mix of characters and plants.
I think the change from slow to fast sections in the concerto grosso makes us more aware of the contrasts in the painting, like the calmness of the natural setting against the lively human action. The music’s rich mix of string instruments and continuous bass parts (continuo) matches well with Fragonard’s detailed painting technique and his bright use of colors, both showcasing a style that is lavish and full of detail.
Hopefully, experiencing Handel’s Concerto grosso while viewing Fragonard’s The Swing will enhance both the visual and auditory senses for you like it did to me! They Together, they offer a harmonious blend that showcases the intricacies of Rococo art and Baroque music. I like to think that these two pieces together invite a deeper contemplation of the era’s artistic expressions, emphasizing themes of playfulness, sensuality, and the delicate dance between observation and participation.