The Bolt by Jean Honore Fragonard

Transcription

1 Maria Scrudato Bedarida Art History The Bolt by Jean Honore Fragonard 1 1 Le Verrou (Fragonard) Wikepedia

2 Jean Honore Fragonard is a name that is synonymous with the Rococo movement and it s erotic, ornamental and self pleasing habit. This French born painter and printmaker would come to be heavily distinguished by the content, facility, and energy compacted into his paintings, drawings and etchings. Having worked as an apprentice for the likes of artists like Chardin and Boucher whom were both praised for their works at the start of the Rococo movement Fragonard s work came with a certain reputation and prominence. At the very young age of eighteen the notable Francois Boucher took note of Fragonard s talent, but unwilling to counsel someone so inexperienced, sent the young artist to study under another great artist of the Rococo movement; Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin. One might say that Fragonard s future prominence and dominance in the art scene might have been easily detected, after all he had been surrounded and brought up by artists who in many ways influenced and shaped the Rococo movement and art in general in the 18th century, he had won the highly acclaimed Prix de Rome in 1752 and traveled the entire French and Italian countryside, but surprisingly Fragonard was ignored for the better half of the 18th century, so much so that in art historical texts like Wilhelm Lubke s History of Art omits even mentioning Fragonard s name. 2 But with the passing of time Fragonard rose to a higher level of status, and particularly came to influence many impressionists and their work. His illustrious, painterly masterpieces varied in subject but all aimed to extract desire within their viewers and an aspect that is pleasing to the viewer and their desires. Fragonard was sensuous, and focused on playfulness, eroticism 3 and joys of domesticity, aspects that drew in the viewer. Fragonard s paintings came to be 2 The Huffington Post, Jean Honore Fragonard and The Bolt 3 The Met Museum Jean Honoré Fragonard Artist Profile

3 distinguishable by his frivolity, his lightness, painterly brushstrokes and his almost care free lighting compositions. Fragonard s painting The Bolt was made during a time of evolution. In France many people had grown tired of the heaviness of the Baroque style and wanted something more than religious syntax or knowledge when looking at a painting. And so this quest for playfulness, for decorativeness and also for desire was created in art. The Rococo movement gave creation to fanatical portraiture, romantic scenes of gardens and other illustrious landscapes but also to things that spoke to the inner desires of man. Scenes of eroticism and hedonism became more prevalent and artists like Fragonard were willing shed light on them. The Bolt was commissioned in 1772 but not finished until 1779 as a pendant for the Adoration of the Shepherds ; upon first glance the only noticeable thing between the two works is their color scheme and format, this being because Fragonard aimed at showing a much 4 more passionate, energetic type of love as opposed to one that is sacred. At first glance the painting seems to be very similar to many of Fragonard s other works; a scene of two lovers, an intimate moment captured in an almost magical, illuminating light. But what immediately becomes striking leads to more questions being brought up then answered. The body language of the two figures especially the woman is what strikes the viewer first. The woman comes to be appear panicked, as if she is fending the man off and yet still magically swept up like treasure into his arms. The man is tightly latched against her, with the muscles in his legs, arms and feet clenched which appear to give off a sense of force and even suppression. His chin is being held back forcefully by the woman s feeble hands and her head is 4 The Louvre The Bolt Critical Analysis

4 tilted back, away from the man, as if she is saying No! Don t! But, yes! And then both the lighting, and the way both of their arms ascend lead the viewer to the title of the work; the bolt. This painting began to create more questions then answers. Why were the man and woman both reaching for the bolt? Why should the door be locked or rather unlocked? Why is the bed the third character in the painting tousled and unmade? Is this a moment of infinite love and happiness or rather one of non consent and forcefulness? And upon more and more analysis the painting came to represent a scene of seduction, of male dominance over the female. The way Fragonard approaches this idea of seduction is quite unique, and he does so using a very literal and unmistakeable dialogue between the two people in the painting, but also with little hints and uses of symbolism. Fragonard uses things like the bolt itself which can be seen as an object of chastity to demonstrate the man s intention; he could be aiming to lock the bolt, sealing the woman in and having her to himself... or in a very literal sense he could be unlocking the bolt, henceforth aiming at unlocking or tearing at her chastity. As mentioned earlier, there is also the very large and prominent bed. Taking up about half of the composition and yet because of the lighting not taking away from the two figures, the bed is a very stark and real representation of the act of sex. It is universally known that the bedroom and the bed is where scenes of sexual conquest, of mutual love and of unconsented acts of love take place. Choosing to paint the fabric in a dark, deep red and also having it be rummaged and seemingly ransacked adds to the passion and tension of the scene. But, the bed can also be a representation of what is already apparent in the painting; of the woman herself. Thrown open and disrupted into a heaping mess, all at the feet of this man, this large and very powerful man before her.

5 In addition to the symbolism Fragonard makes subtle use of, there is also a very intentional play on objects and their erotic meaning. Fragonard includes a single apple on the bedside table, a ripe fruit ready to be eaten, which also works to represent the woman and possibly the acts that are to be followed within the coming moments, the red folds of the drape symbolising the folds of a woman s body and more particularly her sex, the bolt itself can be a representation of the male genitalia and prowess, and unmentioned earlier, the delicate flowers that are thrown out to lay on the floor; symbolizing the delicate nature of the woman being strewn out and waiting to be taken by man. There lies a certain tension that cannot be avoided in this piece. And it is the way Fragonard creates this narrative, this story that captivates the viewer and makes it hard to look away that is so interesting. Placement of objects and background reads as intentional and highly important to how the piece as a whole is read. Perhaps if the figures were on the bed, the tension between them would not be so strong, if the bed was not red, or not as big in size and demeanor it would not seem so daunting and crucial to the scene. If the woman was not so obviously trying to separate herself from this man would the viewer be able to feel the restraint she feel? And if this man was not turned away from us, is his muscles and grand size were not as they appeared exactly on the piece as they are now, would The Bolt seem as tense? Presumably, no. There is something to be said about a work when each thing appears to be just as important as another. If something was changed, if an element was taken away or if the positioning of an object on the canvas was in someway altered, the piece would read entirely different, and feasibly, not speak to the viewer as it does now. Fragonard s attention to detail and thoughtfulness of the viewer are what struck me in this piece. The questions that it created and

6 the answers that the viewer is able to generate make for such an interesting and important conversation; which all important art should do.

7 Works Cited Bailey, Colin. Patriotic Taste. Progressive Taste, Aristocratic Lineage:Louis Gabriel, Marquis de Veri ( ). Fragonard, catalogue d'exposition Paris, Grand Palais, 24 septembre janvier 1988 ; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2 fevrier 8 mai 1988, cat. et comm. P. Rosenberg et M. A. Dupuy, Paris, Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, Fragonard, Le Verrou. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Oct "Jean Honore Fragonard." Artble. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct "Jean Honoré Fragonard." Jean Honore Fragonard Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept Stein, Perrin. "Jean Honoré Fragonard ( )". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (October 2004)