Woman leaning to left 1722 - 1728

"Woman leaning to left" is an undated etching by Francois Boucher. Boucher was a defining artist of the Rococo period in France. The Rococo developed in part from the French court, and it is characterized by its elegance, ornament, and playful subject matter. This image presents us with an ideal of feminine beauty in 18th century France. A young woman reclines in her elaborate and fashionable dress. Her posture and expression signal flirtatiousness. Boucher was employed in the French court, and he made many paintings of mythological scenes and portraits of aristocratic women. To understand this image, we can ask, what was the role of art and artists in the French court? What was the purpose of portraying women in this way? As art historians, we can learn a lot about this period by studying its images in relation to historical documents. These resources help us see how art both reflected and shaped the values of its time.