Coresus at Callirhoe

This painting was one of the few in which Fragonard tackled the history painting. Its successful completion allowed Fragonard entrance into the Academy as a “history painter,” although he soon abandoned this style and began painting his frivolous hedonistic paintings for the wealthy. This painting was bought by the King, and reproduced at the Gobelins factory, a tapestry factory in Paris, France. Although it does not have Fragonard’s typical playful elements, such as blushing cheek and simple caresses, as it is a serious work, it does have an underlying current of love and eroticism, which continued to be a theme running throughout his paintings.