Hercules and Omfala 1735

Francois Boucher painted Hercules and Omphale using oil on canvas, but its date remains unknown. Boucher was a master of the French Rococo style, a favorite of the court of Louis XV, and the style's themes are all here: love, leisure, and playful mythology. Hercules, the epitome of masculine strength, is shown here entwined with Omphale, the Lydian queen who enslaved him. The painting revels in the inversion of traditional roles, a common theme in Rococo art. Hercules's club lies discarded on the floor, while Omphale toys with his lion skin, symbols of his former might. Cupids frolic nearby, adding to the lighthearted, sensual atmosphere. Boucher's style embodied the aristocratic tastes of his time. However, it's important to remember that such frivolous displays of wealth and pleasure would soon give way to the French Revolution. To fully appreciate the social context of the time one might read histories of the French Aristocracy and contemporary writings about the institutions of monarchy and art.