Fragonard and the fantasy figure : painting the imagination / Melissa Percival.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Percival, Melissa.

Contributor:

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré, 1732-1806.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré, 1732-1806--Criticism and interpretation.

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré.

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré, 1732-1806--Themes, motives.

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré, 1732-1806.

Fantasy in art.

Human beings in art.

Themes, motives.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xvi, 260 pages, 28 pages of color plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Painting the imagination

Place of Publication:

Farnham, Surrey ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate, [2012]

Summary:

Percival (French studies, U. of Exeter, the UK) offers a new interpretation of a group of Fragonard paintings that have long mystified scholars, identifying the group of "figures de fantaisie" not as portraits, but as deliberately fanciful in their subject and style. The cultural milieu is defined, with attention to the arts of theatre and performance, and the aesthetics of the era are explored, including discussion of a wide range of other paintings. The result is a fascinating exploration of the zeitgeist of an era of great cultural change. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction

Fact and fantasy : demystifying Fragonard's fantasy figures

The fantasy figure in European painting

Fragonard, "pasticheur inspiré"

Departures from resemblance

Fictional identities

Fantaisie and caprice

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781409401377

1409401375

OCLC:

696605120