The Toilette of Venus
Boucher executed this painting for Madame de Pompadour, the powerful, official mistress of Louis XV and Boucher’s most significant patron for nearly two decades. It was originally inserted into the carved and painted wood-panel walls of her Château de Bellevue, the construction of which prompted many commissions that became textbook examples of Rococo art. Boucher’s depiction of the goddess of love adorning herself with the help of putti encapsulates key features associated with this movement: overt theatricality, voluptuous flesh, and an asymmetrical unfurling of luxurious furniture, fabric, flowers, and pearls.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Toilette of Venus
- Artist: François Boucher (French, Paris 1703–1770 Paris)
- Date: 1751
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 42 5/8 x 33 1/2 in. (108.3 x 85.1 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Bequest of William K. Vanderbilt, 1920
- Object Number: 20.155.9
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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5016. The Toilette of Venus
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