FRANOIS BOUCHER: Seductive Visions (Wallace Collection, London) [Paperback]

Jo Hedley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wallace Collection, London | Publication Date: October 2004

The first monograph to appear on Boucher in English for nearly twenty years, this book is an invaluable contribution to the study of eighteenth-century art. Boucher has cried out for reassessment, and here at last, following the tercentenary year of his birth, his work is seen at its very best in numerous beautiful reproductions. Jo Hedley brings new insights into Boucher's art, explaining both his stylistic development and his cultural context; she also examines his legacy, both in a survey of the influence of his imagery in many media and in a deconstruction of the myth of his libidinous personality (based on his art, not his life).

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

This lavishly illustrated book charts the spectacular rise of the eighteenth-century French artist, Francois Boucher, from poverty to the position of First Painter to King Louis XV.

About the Author

Jo Hedley is curator of pictures pre-1800 at the Wallace Collection, London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Paul Holberton Publishing (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0900785721
• ISBN-13: 978-0900785726
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,531,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The seduction of the Rococo, September 26, 2009

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This review is from: FRANOIS BOUCHER: Seductive Visions (Wallace Collection, London) (Paperback)

"Seductive visions" by Jo Hedley was originally published as part of an art exhibition in Britain at The Wallace Collection. The subject is the French Rococo painter Francois Boucher, usually associated with the merry, decadent and aristocratic reign of Louis XV (mid-18th century). The Rococo style of painting, decoration and architecture became infamous for its frivolity, superficial beauty, eroticism and strange mixing of different styles.

The book follows Boucher from his birth in a lower middle class family in Paris, his career in painting, and his eventual rise to become an official painter at the French royal court, patronized by the king's equally official mistress, the famed Madame Le Pompadour. The book attempts to place the Rococo in a social context, discusses why Boucher's art became controversial, and details some of the controversies. The Enlightenment philosopher Denis Diderot was Boucher's most well known adversary. There is also a chapter on Boucher's legacy. During the 19th century, Boucher's erotic and frivolous paintings were interpreted as evidence that the painter himself must have been a libertine, and even pornographic forgeries were attributed to him! Today, his art is often used in purely commercial contexts, for instance as decoration of soap.

On some points, Jo Hedley strays from received wisdom about Boucher. For instance, she denies that the Irish teenager Marie Louise O'Murphy (one of the king's mistresses) ever served as Boucher's model. Nor was Boucher connected to Louis XV's infamous "brothel", where the king kept his young mistresses (or prostitutes).

"Seductive visions" isn't as deep as Melissa Hyde's "Making up the Rococo", but it's a good introduction to Boucher, his art and its time. Also, the book contains good reproductions of Boucher's paintings (and even a few later parodies), all in colour.

Recommended.