Fishing

Fishing (1767), at the Palace of Versailles, is one of Boucher's late pastoral paintings depicting an idealized rural pastime. Painted for the royal residence, the work demonstrates Boucher's continued prominence at court even as the Rococo aesthetic was beginning to face serious criticism from Enlightenment commentators who demanded greater moral seriousness in art. Versailles's collection of Boucher paintings documents his long service to the French crown, a career that saw him rise from ambitious young painter to Premier Peintre du Roi.

Boucher creates a charming arcadian scene with his signature pastel palette and soft, sensuous modeling of figures and landscape. The decorative composition, designed for an architectural setting, shows his mastery of large-scale decorative painting.