The Swing

This painting of The Swing, around 1712, in the Finnish National Gallery, depicts a woman on a garden swing—a subject associated with flirtation and erotic play in French art. Watteau's treatment predates the more famous version by Fragonard, establishing the swing as a Rococo motif. Watteau painted in oil on panel and canvas using luminous brushstrokes laid over careful preparation, achieving a shimmering surface that captures the play of light on silk and the atmosphere of damp parkland. He...

The woman on the swing is captured at the apex of her arc, her silk dress billowing with the motion. The dappled garden light and feathery foliage create Watteau's characteristic atmosphere of refined sensuality.