Francois Boucher was one of the leading artists in eighteenth-century France, who created not only paintings but also designs for prints, tapestries, and porcelain. This small image, for which Boucher's wife posed as a model, might seem almost frivolous compared to the grand historical and religious narrative paintings we have seen in class thus far. There is no ostensible story, and although it represents a specific individual (and thus overlaps with the genre of portraiture), there is as much emphasis on the stuff in the composition (like the objects displayed on the back wall) as on the figure herself. Does this picture seem casual or posed, or a combination of the two? Why do you say so? Is it possible there there is no "point" to the painting beyond being a pleasant representation of Madame Boucher, or do any details seem to indicate an underlying message?
Immediately after looking at this piece, the image of "Venus of Urbino" by Titan popped into my head. While I am unsure if they are related, having associated this piece by Boucher to Titian's piece, I am lead to believe that this is definitely posed. When looking at the details of the piece, I notice the woman is depicted in a more suggestive way than she may appear at first glance. With her high heels, low cut dress, and pose, it is possible that she is making sexual references as some type of prostitute. Adding to this is the detail of the nightstand next to the bed she is lying on. It seems as if there are mens clothes sprawled across the nightstand, which could speak to the suggestive quality in this piece. Adding to this theme, one can see that the screen that is probably separating her and giving her privacy as well as the curtain behind the chair is askew suggesting that someone had just came of left from being with her.
ReplyDeleteHarry is absolutely right that Boucher is looking back to Titian's Venus of Urbino as a model, and that helps to underscore the subtle erotic connotations of Boucher's portrayal of the lady on her daybed, which is suggestive even if she is clothed.
DeleteI agree that the composition of this painting is similar to that of Titian's Venus of Urbino. However, personally speaking, this painting shows a combination of being casual and posed. The room that is depicted in this painting appears to be casual. The door is open. The curtain is folded, and a pile of clothes is placed on the small chair. Even the drawer is half open. Boucher does not attempt to emphasize the tidiness of this room. However, the figure depicted is very posed,especially her mysterious facial expression and luxurious costumes. It seems that Boucher deliberately attempts to depict her in a pretentious and aristocratic way. It is very possible that the folded curtain and the pile of clothes imply sexual behaviors. Also, when looking closely, there is a sitting child on her shelf. His eyes are peeking at Madame Boucher. His facial expression also appears mysterious and slightly evil, as if Madame Boucher has just done something inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteSherry makes another good point about the seeming properness of the female subject and the disarray of the room around her, which does imply that the picture is giving us access to a private, and perhaps even risqué interior space.
DeleteBoucher's depiction of his wife is both casual and posed. Like Xu Sherry states, the room is very untidy; Clothes are sprawled across the foot chair and the curtains is draped over the sofa. It is almost as though we are capturing a 'moment of every day life,' which makes it very intimate. But, the madame is very calm and casual. She lies on the couch in a very elegant position with the exception of maybe her right leg. Boucher seems to be stating that his wife is, even at the most disarrayed times, is composed and beautiful. The nakedness of her right leg possibly gives a sexual reference. But, unlike the Baroque the narrative is only implied.
ReplyDeleteJin Ah makes a great observation about the suggestiveness of the lady's bare leg, something that would be indecent to show in public in an 18th-century context!
DeletePropped up on a couch Boucher’s wife looks as if she might have just woken from a nap. Charmingly disheveled, her fancy dress is bunched up around her revealing high-heeled shoes. It is a candid image that has a playful, lightness, and sentimental tone. The almost teasing tone suggests a happy home-life. The porcelain (?) figurine and tea set on the wall hanging reflect the Bouchers’ taste for what appears to be Chinese imports or copies, which was would suggest wealth. The luxurious wall coverings and the gold clock on the wall suggest a measure of financial success also, as does the fashionable dishevelment of the room: crumpled papers, a ball of yarn on the floor, a cloth tossed on the footstool. Tidiness was clearly not a concern.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely visual analysis of Boucher's painting, especially the notion of "fashionable dishevelment" as the overall impression conveyed by the picture. And good detail about the Chinese imports or exotic imitations as luxury objects included on the background shelf, which were indeed very popular in 18th-century France.
DeleteThe clothes strewn on the stool, the crinkled curtain and the paper on the dresser give the painting a casual feel because they show the results of daily activity that have not yet been cleaned up. However, the woman makes the picture seem posed because of the way she is dressed. Her frilly dress, bonnet, high-heeled shoes and bow around her neck do not seem like comfortable articles of clothing for sleeping. Her face has a coy expression, as if she is trying to entice the viewer or lure in an intended audience. Furthermore, the male doll on the back wall does not seem like a typical object a woman would use to decorate her room. The doll has a smirk on its face, and may represent the way men may respond to this woman’s coy expression. This sends a message that this woman may be engaging in affairs with other men because she presents herself nicely and is dressed head to toe in fancy attire while her surroundings appear rather haphazard. Furthermore, her outward appearance and overall presentation seem to take priority over the condition of the house, which indicates the men she is seeing care more about her appearance than the house.
ReplyDeleteInteresting interpretation of the male doll in the background as signifying the implied male viewer! There is a very cheeky feel to the whole painting that indeed plays on the tension between public and private, proper and indecent.
DeleteThis painting seems to depict a very intimate moment between husband and wife. Madame Boucher seems to be leisure in the privacy of their own home. The intimacy of this painting is illustrated through the "messiness" of the home. Yes, things seem to be awry, but this is a moment that has been captured in their home. The way Francois Boucher depicts the scene leads the audience into the privacy of his own home it seems. The little objects, though they may be meaningless trinkets to us, have been highlighted in the painting because they are personal belongings of the family. Each object could have a different significance in the home. We, as the audience, are able to capture a glimpse of them through the painting, but will never truly understand the role or importance they may have within the home to the Boucher family. The way Madame Boucher is lounging is relaxed. She has laid back on her fainting couch and her leg remains left uncovered. As pointed out by others, there is men's clothing on the side, which could hint that Francois Boucher did in fact just share an intimate experience with his wife ( her face is very flushed). All in all, I think that there is no real underlying message, but this painting does tell a narrative, which the audience could never grasp, because it seems to depict a moment between husband and wife in their home.
ReplyDeleteJulia's point about the woman's blushing cheeks is another great detail suggesting a narrative of intimacy underlying this scene. Whether this is actually meant to be a portrait of Boucher's wife or merely a generic image for which she posed, Boucher is clearly keen to emphasize the private nature of the room to which the painting gives the viewer access.
DeleteBoucher's Lady on her Day Bed displays a mix of details that make the pose seem both casual and formal. For instance, the rich items in the background – the porcelain pot and doll referencing goods from Asia, the craftsmanship of the cabinet, the mathematical measuring tool on the left of the cabinet, etc. – show the extra wealth and act as symbol of coming globalization and interaction between the Western world and Eastern world as European wealth allows an influx of goods. The furniture and screen, the wallpaper, the richly draped cloth, they all convey status by proving worldliness. However, she lies back casually, looking bored and gazing off frame, in clothes that seem casual. I think that the time taken to have a portrait painted shows a deeper meaning perhaps of extravagance and wealth being juxtaposed with the disgust or ambivalence of the woman and the European nonchalance with spending to gain worldliness.
ReplyDeleteSavannah makes an interesting point about the juxtaposition of signs of wealth and status with the lady's seemingly disinterested demeanor. On the one hand, she might be understood as another object of luxury in his fashionable and frilly dress, but on the other hand, we also get the impression that she is a sentient subject with a mind and intentionality of her own in relation to the viewer's gaze.
DeleteHer positioning appears to be relaxed at first, but the key to the stiffness of her pose is her awareness of the painter. You know and can see her awareness of the painter. Specifically, her stiffness comes from her face, the position of her hand, and her left leg. Her face is clenched and poised. She is trying to lengthen her neck and elongate her body to appear more pristine and elegant. Her hand is delicately shaped to help her elegant appearance. Her fingers seem delicate and unnatural. You can see the effort in shaping her hand to be that specific, dainty pose. Furthermore, her left foot on the bed is pointed and her calf is unnaturally straight. This straightness helps her body seem elongated and refined. Madame Boucher very well knows she is being painted and she is subtlety changing her natural pose to appear more elegant and refined than normally.
ReplyDeleteYou can find a “point” in the painting by looking at it through different perspectives and contexts. This painting could be useful for a historian to view the life of 18th century France through clothes and the objects displayed. There are specific elements that can lead to conclusions to the refined life of Madame Boucher. Another “point” can be the study of the pose of Madame Boucher and her surroundings and how that relates to her character or ‘real’ life. How close is this portrayal accurate to her life?
This is an excellent description of the lady's consciousness of being viewed as Boucher depicts here! While at first she might seem disengaged and distracted, the details of her pose that Eva points out show us that she knows she is been regarded as an object of interest, just like the objects displayed on the shelf behind her.
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