Allegory of Painting

Francois Boucher was a French painter and proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes and decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, intended as a type of two-dimensional furniture. He also painted several portraits of his illustrious patroness, Madame de Pompadour.

Boucher's two allegories, the Allegory of Painting and the Allegory of Music have been associated with each other since they came to light in the late nineteenth century. Virtually identical in size, their compositions are well balanced and their subjects complementary. The low viewpoints of the two paintings and the broad handling of the brushwork suggest that they were intended as overdoors, to be placed high in a decorative scheme where close examination would not have been possible. In each picture the arts of Painting and Music are personified as beautiful young women surrounded by attributes appropriate to their arts and are doted on by winged putti (representations of naked children) who are engaged in playful activities.