Jean-Honore Fragonard | The Swing

The Swing, also sometimes called The Happy Accidents of The Swing, is a Rococo painting by Jean-Honore Fragonard. It is intended to be light-hearted and fun as it depicts people in a care free moment on a swing in the garden. Interestingly, while today's audiences would likely see riding on a swing as a wholesome activity, centuries ago it was considered to be a bit of a risque activity as clothing would move in the breeze giving glimpses of a lady's ankle. In fact, this painting was commissioned by an aristocrat who wanted a painting of himself looking up his mistress's skirt.

For those listeners in high school, The Swing is on the AP Art History required artworks list. You can find more episodes covering those works on my Spotify playlist called AP Art History Cram Session.

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