Imaginary Landscape with the Palatine Hill from Campo Vaccino
early 1730s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
25 x 31 7/8 in. (63.5 x 81 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
Accession Number
1982.60.44
Tags
Art Historical Context
François Boucher's *Imaginary Landscape with theatine Hill from Campo Vacc* (early 1730s) invites visitors into a dreamlike vision of ancient Rome, painted in lush oil on canvas (25 x 31 7/8 in.). From the vantage of Campo Vaccino—the marshy plain encompassing the Roman Forum—the composition blends majestic ruins of the Palatine Hill with idylls: shepherds tending cows amid sun-dappled fields and distant buildings. Boucher's Rococo flair infuses the scene with playful elegance, softening Rome's imperial grandeur into a harmonious fantasy. A leading figure of the French Rococo movement, Bouche...
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...