The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
Book of Fountains: No. 5
c. 1736
(French, 1695–1772)
after François Boucher
Gift of Erich Lederer 1953.675
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.- {{cite web|title=Book of Fountains: No. 5|url=false|author=Gabriel Huquier, François Boucher|year=c. 1736|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1953.675