Stolen kiss

In the 90-ies of the XIX century, the Hermitage Museum received his collection of masterpiece of late Fragonard "The stolen kiss", who was previously in the collection of the last Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski and as compensation for Warsaw was transferred "Polka" Antoine Watteau.

The Fragonard was not equal in resourcefulness with which he was able to arrange gallant common themes. Perhaps only Watteau who died a decade before the advent of Fragonard to the light, was as unconventional and creative in how to present the picture of a love scene, giving it the maximum sensual experience, but not falling into banality or vulgarity.

"The stolen kiss" by Fragonard is a brilliant variation of a love story. The girl swiftly ran out of the room, where was gathered together to take your scarf and at the same moment, even before he could recover, was in the arms of her lover. In the face of the heroine, read the confusion, it is noticeable that she has not switched from the atmospheric events coming in the living room. She literally caught off guard. And this atmosphere of surprise, the feeling of surprise moments of the Fragonard perfectly manages to capture.

Manner, which made "stolen Kiss" is not a characteristic of Fragonard. His creative style has never been such a "gladkovichi" - quite the contrary. Fragonard has always worked very quickly, his brush was easy and swift, and many of his contemporaries seemed unfinished, sketch – like series "fantastic portraits", also called "expressive heads", or adjacent to them "Portrait of Madame de Grave", "Portrait of Monsieur de La British"or "Portrait of the Abbe de Saint-Non in Spanish costume". Here's how their expressive technique of the modern researcher writes: "chiaroscuro, contrast, color intense, rapid strokes of the brush, strokes flow, sparkle, form vigorous clumps". Perhaps, the innovation of Fragonard in full can be evaluated only by one who has learned the lessons of the Impressionists. "The stolen kiss" by contrast is not in ragnarock carefully crafted, the surface of the enamel smooth brush strokes almost never read. Looks incredibly authentic texture materials: satin gown ivory striped scarf translucent, gorgeous carpet.

Apparently, this style of writing, which is late Fragonard tried to learn and apply is the new art requests in the art of France, when the dominant trend was Neoclassicism with its priority clear lines and realistic transfer textures. Fragonard understands that the Rococo style with which he was connected, rooted in the past, but courageously tries to modify her art in conformity with current trends. Love story is the most frivolous, fun or funny as it used to (in the same "The swing"or "Hide and seek"), it appears the romantic and elegiac notes.

"At the end of the 1780s, as if looking back at the past, Fragonard creates another masterpiece "gallant genre" - the Hermitage "the stolen Kiss", writes Sergei Daniel, author of "Rococo. From Watteau to Fragonard". - There is a wit of the composition, and the beauty of vividly drawn "scenes" and the brilliant skill of the letter, clearly addressing to "small Dutch", whether Ter Borch, Miris or someone else of these "artists-jewelers". But still this skill as if touched by cold. Temperament diversity in the blood of Fragonard, as if arrested by ice and freezes in amalienau the surface of the canvas".

Author: Anna Yesterday