The Drawings of François Boucher

Celebrated painter in eighteenth-century France, who became premier peintre to Louis XV in 1765, Francois Boucher (1703-1770) was equally gifted as a draftsman. During a period when draftsmanship was viewed primarily as an academic exercise, or as a part of compositional development, Boucher was unusual in that he drew continually for his own pleasure. His best-known drawings exemplify the intimate and light-hearted style of rococo, which dominated much of the eighteenth-century. Published to accompany a travelling exhibition organized by the American Federation of Arts, this outstanding book celebrated the tercentenary of the artist's birth. It assembles new research on Boucher's drawing's situating the work in its cultural context, as well as examining Boucher's role in shaping the growing market for drawings in eighteenth-century France. Boucher was remarkably prolific, producing some 10,000 drawings during his career, often employing his wife and children as sitters. In addition, he was one of the first artists to cultivate important collectors for his drawings, exploiting the developing taste in Europe and elsewhere for drawings as autonomous works of art.