The Swing By Jean-Honore Fragonard: A Visual Analysis

I’ll be looking at the Rococo style of art and comparing it with the modern social construct of the “Instagram Star” or influencer of our current social media generation. It may not be immediately apparent but I believe there is a lot of evidence that the current social construct of our current social media celebrities or “influencers” shares a great deal in common with the Rococo period of art.

According to the MindEdge Video on Rococo and Neoclassical Styles, “Rococo was lighter and more playful and used ornate decoration, pastel colors, and asymmetrical arrangement(s)” and “often chose romantic or superficial themes.” In Rococo painting the text states “the French style was often frivolous, emphasizing the pursuit of pleasure and often love.” The style seems much more influenced by fun and daily life.

An example given of Rococo painting is “The Swing” (1767) by Jean-Honore Fragonard as an example of an “erotic subject matter of the era”.
When you look further however you notice that there is actually another man behind the woman pushing the swing in addition to the man in front of her, who is somewhat hidden in some plants. The woman has her legs apart and the man in front of her is pointing between her legs. Being that the woman is looking down at the man on the ground it seems to imply she is well aware of him looking on and is likely spreading her legs apart as a flirtation. The artist seems to want to make it clear this is the case as well by using so many leading lines in the image, with not only the outstretched arm of the man pointing between her legs but the two ropes of the swing converging there as well. There is also an implied line leading from a cherubic statue on the left of the frame drawn by its gaze, through her frivolously tossed shoe, through what would be her pubic area, and finally to the hands of the man pushing her