Art: 'The Swing'

 by Grace Gamblin

The Swing or L’Escarpolette, was an oil painting done by artist Jean-Honore Fragonard, a highly important figure in 18th century art, and in present day, he ranks highly as one of the most preeminent Rococo artists. The painting is viewed as more than simply just a women sat on a swing, but an insight into 18th-century French aristocratic customs and cultures, reflecting the prominent art style during the time period, Rococo, which centred around the asservation of the grandiosity of the French aristocracy and nobility, with its depiction of antithetical ideas, namely religion and lust, touching on themes such as courtship and mythology. Often the colours used light and warm, to elicit the sense of ethereality and delicacy, to portray the sumptuous and the opulent. A typical feature of Rococo paintings was of dignified people dressed in lavish costumes, encompassed by nature, whilst being engaged in festivities. 

Many believe that it was the Baron de Saint Julien who commissioned this particular painting, however the exact client is unknown. She was requested to be depicted on a swing with someone who appears to be the woman’s husband, although it said that the client originally intended it to be a bishop, aiding in pushing her. The client, the Baron, is said to be the man in the bushes, with a full frontal view of his mistress. The request of the bishop was likely a private joke, as the Baron himself occupied an important position in the Church, as Receiver General of the French clergy. 

The painting is viewed to hold a significant amount of symbolism. During the time period, a swing was conventional imagery to express infidelity. The woman is being pushed by an elderly man, presumably her husband, who appears to be unaware of the young man’s presence. When looking at the old man, it can be seen that there is restraint and control in this particular part of the painting, with him holding onto the swing’s ropes. This can be paralleled with the idea of the restriction of marriage, and also further, it having connotations of ownership, him needing to be in her presence. Next to the husband can be found a tiny lapdog, symbolic of fidelity, with its worried expression alluding to the possibility of unfaithfulness, attempting to warn the woman's husband. The main focus of the painting is the woman, who appears to be the only colourful figure in the composition, with her dress acting as a beacon of colour and light. At first glance, she appears to be innocent, yet it becomes clearer that she is an embodiment of sexual desire and letting loose, with her riding higher on the swing, allowing her admirer to see up her dress, with her sending her shoes soaring as she kicks her legs apart for his benefit. Furthermore, the slipper aimed at a the marble statue, who appears to be cupid, the Roman god of love, is reminiscent of Etienne-maurice-Maurice Falconet’s Menacing Cupid (1757), a marble sculpture designed for the mistress of KIng Louis XV’s, Madame de Pompadour, who was also on of the leading patrons of the arts in the Rococo style. Both Cupids appear to have a finger to their lips, suggesting the theme of secrecy, whilst also reflecting the highly erotic nature of this painting.