Jeane-Honoré Fragonard, the Swing, 1767

Jeane-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1767

Form

The most significant element in this painting is value. Fragonard painted the Baron de Saint-Julien’s mistress, brighter than anything else in the painting. It looks as if there is a spotlight shining down on just her, which draws the audience’s eye directly to her. The radiant sunlight shining down on her is so precise that it makes the outdoor scene appear to be a fantasy world (Davies et al, 445). The value used in this painting is used to set a scene and draw the eyes of any viewer directly towards the woman on the swing.

The most significant principle in the painting is emphasis and focal point. It is obvious that Fragonard wanted to make the mistress the focal point in the painting because the colors used to paint the background, landscape, and other figures are a lot dimmer, making them “visually less interesting [and] dominant” (Skjei). This, combined with the value and light, create an emphasis on the woman, showing her importance in the composition (Skjei). This focal point can also be recognized through the rope swings and all the other figures in the painting that are looking or pointing at her.

Content

At first glance, the painting looks like a woman simply swinging on a swing. However, with several visual clues, the true story the painting depicts is revealed to the audience. You see a man on the ground holding a hat in his left hand, a symbol for male genitalia. The pink dress signifies female genitalia, while the shoe flying off the woman’s foot is a symbol of “lost virginity” (Skjei). The man lying on the ground is also looking up the mistress’ dress with a pleased look on his face. Lastly, the woman is at the peak or highest point of the swing, signifying the peak of sexual pleasure (Skjei). All these visual clues combined, show a story of a woman who has now lost her virginity to the man lying on the ground