François Boucher (1703- 1770) was a French artist, draughtsman and etcher who mainly worked in the Rococo style: decorative arts, painting, architecture, and sculpture that originated in Paris in the early 18th century. The artist is recognised for his idyllic paintings based on classical themes, decorative allegories and pastoral scenes. His early works celebrate the tranquil portrayal of nature and landscape with great flair. However, it is said that his art typically forgoes conventional rural innocence to portray scenes with a romantic style.

‘Dreaming Shepherdess’ (1763), oil on canvas, 23.62 inches x 18.5 inches, depicts a typical pastoral ‘scene’ (also called pastorale) which were rural festivals typical in French painting under Louis XV. Boucher was the first artist to create the high-quality paintings of the genre showing idealised love lives of shepherds and shepherdesses. The painting is exhibited at Residenzgalerie Salzburg, Austria. — M.Z.A.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 28th, 2016