A Game of Horse and Rider c. 1775 - 1780

Jean-Honoré Fragonard made this painting, A Game of Horse and Rider, using oil paints on canvas. In this period, oil paint was typically made by hand, grinding pigment with linseed oil, a labor-intensive process often performed by apprentices in an artist's studio. Fragonard’s loose brushwork and light, airy palette create a sense of spontaneity and movement. The very application of paint becomes a record of gestures, capturing a fleeting moment of aristocratic leisure. This energetic scene conceals the social realities of the time. While the aristocracy enjoyed such games, the majority of the population toiled in fields and workshops. The smooth surfaces of Fragonard’s painting also hide the labor of its creation. Yet, the artist's choice of materials, the canvas and oil paint, link him to a long tradition of skilled craftsmanship. Ultimately, this work invites us to consider the relationship between artistic creation, social class, and the often-hidden labor that sustains both.