Frontispiece, from Nouveau Livre d'Academies Peintes a Rome par les Eleves de l'Académie Royale de Peinture et Sculpture (New Book of the Academy Painted in Rome by the Pupils of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture) 1759

Francois Boucher made this frontispiece in France to promote a book of academy drawings. The cherubs symbolize the students of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Rome, who were tasked with producing images that adhered to the classical principles of art. In the 18th century, academies were the foremost institutions shaping artistic production and taste. They advanced particular styles and subjects, usually in the service of the monarchy. This image promotes the idea of art as a product of institutional training, with the cherubic students mastering their craft under the watchful eye of the academy. Understanding this print requires that we consider the complex institutional history of European art academies and the role they played in standardizing artistic practices. By studying sources such as the Academy’s records, student letters, and contemporary criticism, we can gain insight into the social and institutional forces that shaped art in the 1700s.