Boom c. 1765 - 1775

Jean-Honoré Fragonard made this sketch, titled 'Boom' with graphite on paper. It's likely that Fragonard made this sketch in France, during the late 18th century when the aristocracy enjoyed idealized landscapes. Fragonard, having won the Prix de Rome, gained access to prestigious institutions and patrons. He was known for lighthearted Rococo paintings, but his drawings, like this sketch, also show an interest in the natural world, which was growing throughout the eighteenth century. This quick drawing may have served as a reference for a larger composition. Historical sources, such as letters and travel journals, help us imagine the spaces where Fragonard created such works. Fragonard lived during a period of intense social change. The French Revolution, which eventually dismantled the institutions that had supported artists like Fragonard, encouraged new ways of seeing the world. The sketch reminds us that art's meaning is always tied to its historical moment.