LA MUSIQUE
1749â61
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-247-34
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
François Boucher, a figure of the French Rococo style, created *La Musique* between 1749 and 1761. Born in 1703, Boucher rose to prominence as the official painter to King Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour embodying the era's lavish celebration of pleasure, ornamentation, and sensuality. This print, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collectionpurchased by the Advisory Council), likely captures one of his signature idyllic scenes—perhaps graceful figures engaged in musical reverie, evoking the refined amusements of 18th-century French aristocracy. As a print, *La Musique* reflects th...