Love as Folly

About this artwork

Jean Honoré Fragonard *Love as Folly*, painted around 1773–1776, captures the playful exuberance of late Rococo art in oil on an oval canvas measuring 55.9 x 46.4 cm. Fragonard, a of the French Rococo, was renowned for his lighthearted, sensual scenes that celebrated love, desire, and the fleeting joys of aristocratic life. This work, likely part of his intimate "fantasy figures" series, the era’s escapist spirit just before the French Revolution, opulent indulgence contrasted with brewing social unrest. The oval format, popular in 18th-century decorative arts, enhances the painting’s intimate, jewel-like quality, inviting viewers into a whimsical world of folly and romance. Fragonard’s signature feathery brushwork and vibrant colors create a sense of movement and delight, blurring the line between reality and reverie—a hallmark of his technique that influenced later Impressionists. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s collection, gifted in memory of Kate Seney Simpson, *Love as Folly* reminds us of Rococo’s cultural legacy: a brief, brilliant celebration of human passion amid historical change. Visitors, imagine the candlelit salons where such works sparked smiles and sighs!