Angelica and Medoro

Art Historical Context

François Boucher, the quintessential Rococo master and favorite artist of Louis XV, captures a tender, sensual moment in *Angelica and Medoro*1763). Drawing from Ludovico Ariosto's poem *Orlando Furioso*, painting depicts the Saracen princess Angelica and her lover Medoro in an intimate embrace amid a lush, idyllic landscape. This oval oil on canvas, measuring 26¼ x 22⅛ inches, exemplifies Boucher's flair for mythological romance, blending eroticism with playful fantasy—evident in the female nude and frolicsome putti (chubby cupids) that tag this work. Boucher's virtuoso technique shines through his feather-light brushwork, soft pastel hues, and shimmering highlights that evoke the movement of silk and skin. The oval format, popular in 18th-century French decorative arts, lends an intimate, jewel-like quality, as if framing a whispered secret from aristocratic boudoirs. Created at the height of Rococo exuberance, just before Neoclassicism's austere rise, it reflects the era's celebration of pleasure and escapism amid Enlightenment tensions. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings department via The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection (1982), this gem invites visitors to savor Boucher's world of voluptuous delight and literary whimsy.

About the Artist

François Boucher · 1703–1770

François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...