Art Analysis: The Swing
One of my favorite paintings is called The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. I was gifted a copy of this painting several years ago, and every day I look at this painting, I uncover another part of the story I had missed the times before. The original image was made with oil-based paint and was created in either 1767 or 1786 by the French Artist. The Swing is relatively tiny compared to other works created during this time, 81 x 64.2 cm. The painting currently resides in the Wallace Collection in London, England.
One of my favorite parts of The Swing is the amount of texture used throughout to capture the slightly erotic scene the painting captures. Fragonard uses textures to create the rose bushes the man is lying in and to separate the bushes from the dirt on the ground. He captures the surfaces of the tree and the spiraling of the rope the swing is strung up by. The statue's texture demonstrates the difference in appearance between the trees and the sky. The ruffles in the dress are beautifully captured, along with the flicked-off shoe suspended in the air. Every time one looks at this painting, there is an aspect of the art that is new or has a different meaning due to the textures the artist displays in The Swing.
Another technique used by the French artist to differentiate the different aspects of the painting is color. Fragonard has hints of lighter paint on the statues to show how the light was hitting at the moment of the painting. He also uses shading to create depth within the painting. The man up front appears lighter than the man in the back, showing how the man in the back pulls the strings as the one upfront looks up at the woman's dress. The women's dress is the color focus point, so at first glance, our attention goes to her instead of the other elements of the painting. We also see the color shading on the rose bushes with specks of light and dark to reflect how the light was hitting the bushes that day. Fragonard also utilizes lines in The Swing. The lines signify the vines growing around the tree and the broken branches on the ground. This helps us have perspective on the scale of the setting of the painting and offers a clear image of nature.
Citations:
Bruckbauer, Dr. Ashley. “Jean-Honoré Fragonard, the Swing.” Smarthistory, 26 Feb. 2021, https://smarthistory.org/jean-honore-fragonard-the-swing/.
Hello Allyse, I love your choice of artwork for this assignment as I also really love this painting! The way that Fragonard tells a story and creates such a complex yet harmonious painting is fantastic. I had never noticed before just how much texture was in this painting and how much the lighting emphasizes the subtle forms of everything. The peak of lighter trees in the distance really makes this painting feel all the more intimate as if we have stumbled into a quite shaded spot. This feeling is further emphasized by the bright tree trunk in the foreground that seems to be lighted by some sunlight poking through the trees. The woman on the swing is such a beautiful focal point with her luxurious soft pink dress that echoes the shape of the roses that her lover is hidden in. All the hidden detail such as the woman’s lover hiding in the bushes to peek up her dress, the statue of a cupid looking at the man with a hushed motion as if to tell him to remain quiet, the mischievous look on the woman’s face, and the husband hidden away in the back with a content smile on his face completely oblivious to what is happening, truly add to the viewer's enjoyment upon seeing this image in a colossal way. Great choice in painting for this assignment!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I find it incredibly amusing that Disney included a version of this painting in Frozen
Hi Allyse, this is a wonderful piece. You bring up great points. I agree with your perspective on the dress being the color focal point, as my do immediately go to her and then her shoe in the air. Only then do I realize there are many different subjects and activities taking place within the entire piece. You are absolutely correct, Fragonard's attention to detail is astounding! The way in which he uses tone variation to create depth is very beautiful. Thank you for sharing your interest and discussion of this piece.
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