In this enchanting work, François Boucher presents a portrait of infinite grace, characteristic of the Rococo style of which he was one of the most brilliant exponents.
The young woman, presumed to be his daughter, Marie-Émilie Baudouin, is captured in a moment of delicate intimacy, dressed in a shimmering blue-green silk gown with a bodice adorned with a powdered pink bow. Her coiffure, delicately powdered and embellished with flowers, embodies the refined elegance of the Louis XV period. The circular format, emphasized by a gilded frame with sculpted botanical motifs, bestows a particular preciousness upon this composition. The bird perched on the subject’s hand symbolizes youth and freedom, while the atmospheric treatment of the background in blue-gray tones creates the vaporous ambiance characteristic of the artist’s style. The masterfully orchestrated light accentuates the sitter’s delicate complexion and the fineness of the fabrics.
Additional Information
- Title: Presumed Portrait of Marie-Émilie Baudouin, the Painter’s Daughter
- Artist: François Boucher (1703-1770)
- Date: circa 1758-1760
- Dimensions: 75.5 × 65 cm
- Location: Paris Musées, Musée Cognacq-Jay, le goût du XVIIIe, Level 3, Room 14
- https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/musee-cognacq-jay/oeuvres/portrait-presume-de-marie-emilie-baudouin-fille-du-peintre
François Boucher (1703-1770) was one of the most celebrated and influential painters of eighteenth-century France. As First Painter to King Louis XV and Director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, he embodied the very spirit of the Rococo style. His virtuosic technique, sense of color, and ability to create sensual and refined atmospheres earned him the favor of Madame de Pompadour, whose official painter he became. This portrait, created around 1758-1760, testifies to his absolute mastery in the art of intimate portraiture, where grace competes with sensitivity.
