Boucher (Chaucer Art) [Hardcover]

David Wakefield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2006

David Wakefield's study of Boucher presents a balanced portrait of an artist intimately associated with the Rococo period of mid eighteenth-century France and the rule of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. His brilliant career encompassed a prolific output of over 1,000 paintings and 10,000 drawings, including many royal commissions, appointment as the Head of the Royal Gobelins Factory in 1755, and finally becoming Director of the Academie Royale and Premiere Peintre due Roi in 1765. Boucher was capable of creating works of real beauty, especially in his landscapes and drawings of the female figure at which he excelled. Moreover, Boucher s firm roots in Dutch naturalism lent his art a down-to-earth quality never too far removed from everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DAVID WAKEFIELD read Modern Languages at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He later studied History of Art at the Courtauld Institute and took a D.Phil in French Literature at Oxford. Since 1974 he has worked as a writer and lecturer, with a special interest in the relations between French art and literature. His publications include Stendhal and the Arts, Fragonard, Stendhal The Promise of Happiness, A History of French Eighteenth-Century Painting and Boucher. He has contributed several articles on Proust, Chateaubriand and Stendhal to The Burlington Magazine, The Times, The Spectator and other journals.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chaucer Press (March 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904449352
• ISBN-13: 978-1904449355
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #783,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The sum of Boucher's prolific career as a Rococo period artist, April 26, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boucher (Chaucer Art) (Hardcover)

David Wakefield holds a long and special interest in French art and literature and has other publications on the topics to his name, so BOUCHER, a study of the artist whose works have become synonymous with the Rococo period of mid-18th century France, is a logical study for his talents. BOUCHER examines the sum of his prolific career and his history, providing a survey of his works, changing times, and influences. Full-page color photos use his paintings as stepping stones to understanding his art and early roots in Dutch naturalism. An excellent survey.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boucher, September 1, 2007

By 

V. Alejandra "alejandra viscarra" (argentina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boucher (Chaucer Art) (Hardcover)

it is a very good book, with illustrations to color of great quality, and some drawings of Boucher.excelente considering the number of pages and the price.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying for the art, September 26, 2009

By 

Ashtar Command "Seeker" (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boucher (Chaucer Art) (Hardcover)

Despite the editorial review, David Wakefield's book "Boucher" isn't really a scholarly study of Francois Boucher and his time. The text is rather short, and some of Wakefield's conclusions aren't backed up by other scholars. The book is worth having for its lavish colour reproductions of Boucher's paintings. Neither more nor less!