Book of Fountains: No. 1, Title Page

Boucher was one of the most prolific designers of ornament prints. With their aquatic motifs and gracefully curving and scalloped forms, these designs for fantastic, even bizarre fountains perfectly illustrate the whimsical Rococo approach. Derived from the French word for shell, rocaille, the Rococo was a light, playful style filled with shell motifs (which stemmed in part from a vogue for collecting shells), naturalistic curves, scrolls, and plant forms.