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Rocaille Fountain with Venus, Amorini, and Swans

Edme Bouchardon

1735

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Rocaille Fountain with Venus, Amorini, and Swans is a 1735 chalk by Edme Bouchardon, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Edme Bouchardon
When & what style?: 1735 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a fountain with Venus, the goddess of love, at its center. She's surrounded by putti, or cherubs, and swans. The scene is drawn in red chalk on two pieces of paper that have been joined together. The drawing is very detailed, with lots of folds in the fabric that Venus is sitting on. The putti and swans are all interacting with each other in different ways. The whole scene is framed by an archway, which adds to the sense of depth and space. If you're interested in learning more about this style of drawing, you might want to check out the work of the Baroque movement.