Artwork
The Stolen Kiss
The Stolen Kiss is an oil painting by Jean Honoré Fragonard. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting’s informal pose and delicate handling of light reinforce its character as a light‑hearted tableau rather than a narrative episode.
The Stolen Kiss (1760) is an oil on canvas genre scene by Jean‑Honoré Fragonard that captures a fleeting moment of romantic intimacy. The composition shows a young woman and man locked in a playful kiss, their bodies angled toward each other within a loosely defined interior. Art historians note that the work functions as a visual allegory for the light‑hearted flirtations of the French aristocracy, using the act of stealing a kiss to symbolize seductive anticipation and the transitory nature of desire.
The painting’s informal pose and delicate handling of light reinforce its character as a light‑hearted tableau rather than a narrative episode.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1760, Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Stolen Kiss is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 48.3 cm in height by 63.5 cm in width. As a genre scene, the composition depicts an intimate moment involving a couple, specifically a man and woman engaged in a kiss and embrace, with a young girl also present.
The painting utilizes oil paint as its primary medium applied to a canvas support, characteristic of Fragonard's approach to capturing lively, romantic narratives within the genre art tradition.
History & Provenance
The painting now known as The Stolen Kiss is dated to circa 1760 by internal cataloguing, aligning with its early genre-scene production during Jean Honoré Fragonard’s formative decade. It entered the art market through Charles Sedelmeyer, a Parisian dealer active in the late nineteenth century, before passing to M. Knoedler & Co., the New York gallery that facilitated transatlantic sales. By the early twentieth century it was owned by Jessie Josephine Donahue, whose collection formed the nucleus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings when acquired in 1926.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Stolen Kiss, executed in 1760, is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting, an oil on canvas measuring 48.3 by 63.5 centimeters, depicts a couple in an embrace. Before reaching its present institution, the work passed through the hands of several notable owners, including the dealer Charles Sedelmeyer and the firm M. Knoedler & Co.
The final recorded private owner prior to its museum acquisition was Jessie Josephine Donahue. While the provided sources confirm the artwork's current location and its chain of ownership, they do not contain specific details regarding its accession number or a chronological record of its public exhibition history.
Context
Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Stolen Kiss, executed in 1760, stands as a quintessential example of the Rococo genre scene, capturing the intimate and playful dynamics of 18th-century French society. The work depicts a couple engaged in a lovers' embrace, illustrating the era's fascination with private emotion and gallantry. Currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting traces a provenance through prominent dealers Charles Sedelmeyer and M. Knoedler & Co. before entering the collection of Jessie Josephine Donahue.
Its dimensions of 48.3 by 63.5 centimeters and its medium of oil on canvas reflect the standard scale for domestic Rococo interiors. Art historical scholarship often cites the piece as a definitive representation of Fragonard's ability to translate fleeting moments of romance into enduring visual narratives, situating it firmly within his broader exploration of amorous themes during the mid-1700s.
Overview
The oil painting titled "The Stolen Kiss" captures an intimate domestic scene. It features three individuals within a dimly lit interior: a seated woman cradling a child, a man leaning in towards the child, and another woman observing from the periphery. The artwork focuses on a quiet interaction, utilizing a deliberate application of light and shadow to highlight the central figures against a subdued background.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on 5 April 1732 in Grasse, the son of a glover, and moved with his family to Paris in 1738.
