Pastoral with a Couple near a Fountain

Pastoral with a Couple Near a Fountain (1749), in the Wallace Collection, is one of Boucher's idealized pastoral scenes, depicting an attractive young couple in a rustic setting beside an ornamental fountain. The painting exemplifies the Rococo fantasy of aristocratic rural retreat that Boucher made his specialty. The Wallace Collection's unrivaled holdings of French eighteenth-century painting make it the premier venue for experiencing the Rococo decorative tradition outside France.

Boucher renders the pastoral scene with warm, decorative colors and the soft, idealized forms of the mature Rococo. The elegant figures, the picturesque fountain, and the lush landscape create a charming vision of aristocratic pastoral fantasy.