The Pre-arranged Flight
Historical Context
The Pre-Arranged Flight (c. 1771-73), in the Harvard Art Museums, depicts a scene of romantic elopement — a young couple fleeing together, presumably against parental wishes. The subject combines the excitement of transgression with the tenderness of romantic love, themes central to Rococo culture's treatment of amorous subjects. Fragonard renders the scene with characteristic energy and warmth, the lovers' urgency conveyed through dynamic composition and fluid brushwork. Harvard's art museums include French eighteenth-century paintings that support the university's teaching programs in art history.
Technical Analysis
The dynamic composition captures the urgency of flight, with figures in motion against a dramatically lit background. Fragonard's energetic brushwork heightens the scene's sense of excitement and haste.
