The Swing
1734
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
Artist
Nicolas Lancret
Nicolas Lancret (French pronunciation: ; 22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter.
See the richer artist page1734
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Swing is a 1734 oil by Nicolas Lancret, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A woman in a pink dress swings high above a garden. One man pushes her from behind bushes. Another man in the bushes looks up her skirt. This was a popular scene in the 1730s. Painters liked showing fancy people having fun outdoors. Lancret often painted these light, playful parties. Check out more fêtes galantes by Lancret, Nicolas at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
An elegant young woman is pushed on a swing by a man in a wooded setting, the scene suggesting an amorous encounter. The work reflects the 18th-century *fêtes galantes* tradition, depicting refined figures in outdoor settings, often linked to decorative schemes. X-ray analysis indicates the painting may have been part of a larger decorative ensemble, framed to integrate with interior paneling or furniture. Such scenes, popular in aristocratic circles, frequently featured subtle allusions to romance and leisure.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Nicolas Lancret (French pronunciation: ; 22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter.
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