Design for two spandrels with winged figures 1720 - 1770

Francois Boucher made this drawing, Design for two spandrels with winged figures, using chalk on blue paper. We can see that the effect is immediate. The soft, powdery chalk renders the figures with a delicate grace. Drawing was a vital part of Boucher's artistic practice, serving as a means to explore ideas and compositions before committing them to paint. This particular drawing would have been used to decorate the curved, architectural space called a spandrel. Notice how the lightness of the drawing gives the figures an ethereal quality, as if they’re floating on clouds. Boucher was the quintessential rococo artist; he perfectly captured the period's love of ornamentation and playful themes. These figures, with their flowing drapery and cherubic features, embody the rococo aesthetic. Consider, too, the labor involved to create these designs. Drawings like these were essential to the large-scale decorative schemes that were in demand by wealthy patrons. By focusing on Boucher's process, we can understand this work not just as a beautiful image, but as a record of creative labor, and an important part of a larger industry of design.