The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Book of Fountains:  No. 2

Book of Fountains: No. 2

c. 1736
(French, 1695–1772)
(French, 1703–1770)
Catalogue raisonné: Fonds Français 18tieme siecle XI.457.576-582
Location: not on view

Description

Boucher was one of the most prolific designers of ornament prints. With their aquatic motifs and gracefully curving and scalloped forms, these designs for fantastic, even bizarre fountains perfectly illustrate the whimsical Rococo approach. Derived from the French word for shell, rocaille, the Rococo was a light, playful style filled with shell motifs (which stemmed in part from a vogue for collecting shells), naturalistic curves, scrolls, and plant forms.
  • D'Agliano, Andreina, Claudia Lehner-Jobst, Errol Manners, Jeffrey H. Munger, Rosalind Savill, Selma Schwartz, and Sylvain Deleu. Brittle Beauty: Reflections on 18th Century European Porcelain. [London?] : Ad Ilissum, 2023. Mentioned: p. 338; reproduced: p. 341, fig. 2
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art (07/16/2016-11/06/2016); Elegance and Intrigue: French Society in 18th-century Prints and Drawings.
  • {{cite web|title=Book of Fountains: No. 2|url=false|author=Gabriel Huquier, François Boucher|year=c. 1736|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1953.672