Fragonard's Allegories of Love

Molotiu Andrei

Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter whose manner is distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism, as well as a prolific output – he produced more than 550 paintings. One of his most striking pieces, "The Fountain of Love", is part of a series of works known as the 'Allegories of Love' that display an exquisite sense and atmosphere of intimacy and eroticism. This lavishly illustrated volume presents a detailed and engaging comparison and analysis of the compositions, iconography, and sources of the Allegories in their historical and artistic context. It also discusses the transcendental aspect of love in the Allegories and the concept of Romanticism on the eve of the French Revolution. This volume accompanies "Consuming Passion: Fragonard's Allegories of Love", an exhibition of the artist's work that opens at the J. Paul Getty Museum in February 2008.

About the Author

Andrei Molotiu has taught Art History at the University of Rochester, Indiana University, and the University of Louisville.

Reviews

"'Fragonard's Allegories of Love' provides a valuable opportunity to reassess a fascinating group of late works that, like much of Fragonard's oeuvre, eludes easy categorization" – New Perspectives on the Eighteenth Century

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