Scenes on the verge of decency

Contemporaries called Francois Boucher's paintings a mirror reflecting French court life. He was a favorite artist of Louis XV and his favorite Marquise de Pompadour, but later he was criticized for "frivolity and frivolity."

Francois Boucher. Odalisque on a blue sofa

It is believed that fame comes to a good artist only after death. Francois Boucher was an exception to the rule: he was "the first painter of King Louis XV" and director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.

Francois Boucher. Self - portrait

Francois Boucher was born in Paris on September 29, 1703. His father made a living by drawing patterns for embroidery. Noticing the abilities of little Francois, his father sent him to study.

Francois Boucher. Portrait of Marie-Jeanne Busot, the artist's wife

At first, Francois Boucher was engaged in illustrating the "French History" of Gabriel Daniel, traveled to Italy, studying the local masters of painting, painted canvases on mythological and biblical subjects, scenes in the interior, landscapes, pastorals and even created scenery for ballets. In short, he was a very versatile and extremely socially useful master.

Francois Boucher. The mill in Sheraton

Francois Boucher. Apollo appears before the shepherdess in the guise of a god

Most likely, this would have continued. Francois Boucher would have become quite a successful painter, painted his landscapes and pastorals for himself and would certainly have won recognition from a relatively wide number of connoisseurs of fine arts. But I would be just one of the good artists.

Francois Boucher. Marquise de Pompadour

Everything was changed by the favorite of the king, the Marquise de Pompadour. Unlike Louis, who was narrow-minded, lazy and depraved, she was educated, intelligent and, as was customary in those days, patronized writers, sculptors and artists. But she did not differ in good taste and sense of proportion: Voltaire, for example, she irritated with her philistine manners.

Francois-Hubert Drouet. Marquise de Pompadour

In 1748, Francois Boucher began working for the Marquise de Pompadour, became a frequent visitor to Versailles, and four years later he was even allowed to live and work in the Louvre. Francois Boucher knew how to feel what the Marquise wanted. Stronger than champagne, truffles and chocolate, she loved only herself and wanted to remain at least in the paintings dazzlingly beautiful, luxurious and young.

Francois Boucher. The lady behind the toilet

The artist was inundated with private orders: everyone wanted to have paintings of the king's favorite favorite.

Francois Boucher. Leda and the Swan

Francois Boucher. Jupiter in the guise of Diana, seducing Callisto

After the death of the Marquise de Pompadour, success came to an end. Few people wanted to buy paintings by Francois Boucher, he was accused of corrupting youth, and the moralist Denis Diderot said: "What can such a painter capture on canvas? Just your dirty fantasies. And what else can be the fantasies of a person who spends most of his time in the company of prostitutes of the lowest order?"

Francois Boucher. Blonde odalisque

Diderot was right about something: the mores at court were not particularly strict. For the painting "Blonde Odalisque" Boucher posed for the mistress of Louis XV, who was about fifteen years old. There is a legend that Boucher invited marquis and countesses as models, who found special pleasure in posing nude.

Gustav Lundberg. Portrait of Francois Boucher

Today, art historians do not rate Francois Boucher's paintings very highly: recognizing the skill, many French experts believe that some of the paintings are not distinguished by artistic taste.