Analysis Of Girl Reclining: Louise O Murphy By Francois Boucher
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During the upsurge of Neoclassism, many artists and intellectuals began to question the true intentions of Rococo art. Neoclassism surfaced from the artists whose works were inspired by art from the Classical time, and reprimand the frivolity and immoral sensuality that they saw as the core of the style. The artistic style of Rococo first came to light with the relocation of the French court from the palace of Versailles. After leaving the rural area to return to the bustling city of Paris, the nobles built their own town houses, complete with lavishly decorated social rooms called salons, where they would host intimate and intellectual gatherings which eventually became the center of social life for the aristocrats of the time. As a sign…show more content… One such piece, Girl Reclining: Louise O'Murphy by Francois Boucher, was designed as part of a series of works made especially for the private enjoyment of Louis XV (Boucher). The portrait depicts 18 year old Louise O'Murphy completely in the nude, lying on a couch. Pillows are strewn about, her clothes are in a pile on the floor, and the very center of the painting is focused on her bare buttocks, showing that Boucher designed the piece of art in a way that promoted sensuality. This element was unique to the Rococo period in that portraying any mortal girl in such an obscene and suggestive manner had been completely unheard of before this. However, not all of the art made in light of Rococo carried such a lewd message. Jean-Antoine Watteau's piece, Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera, captures the frivolity of Rococo by depicting a dream world in which elegantly dressed couples are exploring the island of Cythera (Watteau). Watteau portrays the idealized and picturesque lives of the aristocrats. This piece of art, like many Rococo styled paintings, show the nobles dressed in exquisite satins and silks, proudly displaying their ornate and luxurious lifestyle while on a melancholic and romanticized midday