The piece of artwork I have selected is The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard. Jean-Honore Fragonard was a French painter and printmaker whose late rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, and exuberance. Among his most popular works are genre paintings conveying an atmosphere of intimacy and veiled eroticism (Tear 44-47). Fragonard was born at Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes. When in Rome, Jean formed acquaintanceship with a painter, Hubert Robert, where they toured Italy together and drew a plentiful amount of sketches of local areas and scenery. It was while in Rome and the romantic gardens which contained fountains, grottoes(small cave), and temples which helped open him up to his art-form (Barker 253-253). He also learned to admire the stylings of the Dutch, imitating their brushstrokes of loose and vigorous styles.

In Fragonard’s most popular painting, The Swing was originally proposed to Doyen by de Saint-Julien to pain his “mistress” where he was to be painted in hiding in bushes and being pushed by a bishop, he specifically said though that the lady on the swing should be showing her ankles and more the enliven the painting to his liking. Doyen was shocked by this and suggested that Fragonard do it instead.

The Swing is Fragonard’s most noticeable painting which has a woman on a swing between two men on the left you can see a man with his hat off and it appears that he is reaching towards her. On the right you see someone in the shadows who is controlling the swing maybe giving it a push. The woman is in a beautiful pink dress, throwing one of her shoes off. The setting is perhaps in a garden in the backyard of a castle or elegant palace as we can see architecture in the background. The painting has to a great extent influenced many other works, including paintings and sculptures, the most recent being the animated feature film Tangled.

As aforementioned, the painting shows a young woman on a swing. She is swinging with the help of two men, one of whom we think is the husband. This is an indication that the painting is based on love and romance (Tear 44-47). Nevertheless, on the left lie a young attentive male courtier who is staring at the long exposed legs of the swinging woman. The swinging leaves the skirt open and this gives the young man an opportunity to see under the petticoats that she is wearing under the pink dress. Although the young woman realizes that the young man is watching, she remains calm and seems to enjoy that attention from the young man. The young man seems to try to reach and touch the young woman.

The costumes used by Fragonard look fanciful and provide us with a slight bit of erotic suggestions. It is however essential to point out that although the painting looks erotic, it does not actually cross the line to e classified as vulgar. It is prudent to point out that the swinging motion makes the pink dress to leave the woman exposed and the young man lying next to the swing sees the young woman’s nudity. Some people have criticized the painting for supposedly lack of ‘’self respect’’. Nevertheless, Fragonard remained steadfast with the playful nature of the painting. He emphasizes that he never in any way intended to be vulgar but rather wanted to emphasize on importance of love, romance and affection.

As aforementioned, the motivation behind the painting ‘’Swing’’ by Fragonard was to express the theme of love. It is prudent to note that the romantic period was a time when personal freedom, human feelings and the discovery of expression of one’s true self were emphasized and valued. For instance, the painting is of a young woman who is helped to swing by the loving husband. Fragonard can be classified as a romantic artist who has abandoned the simplicity form, line and perspective of the neo-classic style and resulted to the use of rich colors, light and visually undisciplined and emotional presentation. For instance, the use of pink color for the dress is to make it more attractive (Tear 44-47). The staring young man is used to show how other men will envy beautiful women and the calm nature of the swinging woman is an indication of how women feel good when attracting the men’s attention. In essence, the motivation behind the painting is individual freedom and also advances the theme of romance.

It is true the motivation of the painting the swing is to express freedom or self expression. From the painting, we can see the freedom of the swinging woman. During these times, swinging was considered childish. Nevertheless, the couple seems not to be worried by these assertions and enjoy their play. It is also imperative to point out that the swinging helps the man show love and appreciation to the woman. Although swinging today cannot be considered as an act of freedom or self expression, but in the 18^th century, it was not common amongst the adults. During this era, children and adults were expected to behave in a different, regulated and refrained manner(Barker 253-253). Women were particularly required to behave in a way that was respected in the society. In this sense, the woman’s swing is a great show of emotion and an act of freedom.

The same motivation can be felt in the modern era. People are always striving for freedom of expression. Also, it is also common in the modern days for people to express their love to their loved ones. People will take extra measures to ensure that they express themselves. From , the painting, it is not only the swinging woman and her lover but also there is the servant. The inclusion of the third force is an indication that romanticism maintained that everyone should express themselves. Even in the presence of the third person, the lovers continue to make their expression felt. Romance is an integral part of the modern day society and it also happens to me that at times I have to express love to the ones I love.

The painting the swing relates in different ways with the modern society. As aforementioned, the underlying theme of the painting is the issue of romance. Even today, most people are obsessed in love and can do anything to express their love to the people they love. For instance, the choice of the pink dress to fulfill the theme of romance is still happening today. The choice of colors especially during weddings and other events such as valentine is of paramount importance. In the modern society, people will always choose attractive colors such as red and pink to advance the theme of romance. It is important to note that people associate rose flower with love due to its pink color. Besides the color choice, lovers in the modern society also engage in playful activities just to express love (Tear 44-47). Although it must not be necessarily involve swinging, lovers always engage in other activities such as dance with their lovers.

It is also worth noting that the issue of freedom of expression is relevant to the modern day society. People will always try to express themselves in what they feel it is best for them and not what is defined as good by the society. From the painting, the young woman is being helped by the old suitor to swing. Nevertheless, the young woman seems to express her dislike to the older man and seems to choose the young suitor instead. It is prudent to point out that the young woman kicks off her shoe as the young man looks to express her feelings of love towards him. The flying shoe can be an indication of defiant gesture from the lady towards the old cupid man(Barker 253-253). Also, during this era, woman’s bare foot was a sign of nudity and it was disrespect to the old man. The young suitor is seen enjoying the clear view of the woman’s body which is left exposed by the dress after the swinging motion. Such instances of defiance and freedom of expression are also prevalent in the modern society. People seem not to care the people surrounding them but they are determined to ensure that what they feel is good for them is fulfilled. In essence, the painting is a romantic painting where romanticism and freedom of expression are the major themes expressed in the painting.

Work cited

Barker, E. “Fragonard And The Fantasy Figure: Painting The Imagination”. French Studies 67.2 (2013): 253-253. Web.

Tear, Katherine A. “Instant Motivation: The Surprising Truth Behind What Really Drives Top Performance”. Performance Improvement 54.8 (2015): 44-47. Web.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?