Amber Fuhrmann's Favorite Women of the Rococo

This work by Boucher is part of a series of portraits of Madame de Pompadour. This painting's feeling of softness and the dark lightness are calming to me, and the relaxed pose of Madame just makes me wants lie next her and cuddle or something. Her dress is absolutely beautiful, and it contains great detail. The lace on her sleeves and the little flowers and ruffle are absolutely adorable.

It is so peaceful. Reynolds's portrait of the Duchess has beautiful scenery in the background, the calmness of nature and soft colors and brushstrokes giving off a sense of security and serenity. Her dress is very flow-y and looks very comfortable, adding to the relaxed vibe.

Capet's self portrait shows off her feminine beauty with female artists on the rise. Her hair is stunning, very well done and flowing and soft with curls. Her dress is very pretty and ruffle-y, and the ribbon is beautiful. I have a thing for ribbons, especially ones that are like a satin-y silk. Her expression is happy, but cocky, like she KNOWS she is good at art, and she plans to show off.

Another work of Boucher, This portrait of Madame Bergeret is much brighter than that of Madame de Pompadour. The colors are brighter, but still soft, sort of like an Easter egg. Her dress if beautiful, a white sating with a blue ribbon. Her dress is also VERY fluffy, and the flowers are beautiful.

This self portrait that Vigee Le Brun did was one of two images that really got me into Rococo art. She painted her 26 year old self as a "charming and attractive lady of society." I adore her delicate brush work and her use of simple colors. The gentle lightness, even with the significant use of browns and blacks, has a peaceful feel to the painting. The background is plain, providing an open feel. Her outfit is basic but beautiful, the white and black complemented by the red ribbon bow and sash. Her small smile is warm and comforting, and who doesn't love a hat with a feather?

Vigee Le Brun often painted Marie-Antoinette. She is shown delicately holding a rose she just plucked from the bush beside her while wearing a magnificent blue dress with grey lace and a blue and grey bow on her bosom and a grey hat with a lovely feather. The background is darkly shaded, but you see a large tree on a hill, and you see a bush. The sky has dark clouds. The whole scene is beautiful and peaceful.

This portrait by Gainsborough was painted when he was in the prime of his career when he lived in Bath. His inspiration of Van Dyck's work helped his painting skills progress. The portrait of the daughter of the Earl of Harrington, wife of Viscount Molyneaux of Croxteth Hall, was painted to impress Londoners, and the Royal Academy in London to which he was elected. The dress is very definitive in its textures, a stunningly gorgeous silver dress with black trim and a black shawl/wrap, both with ruffles and lace. The Viscountess's hands show Gainsborough's skill, said to be "finely observed and superbly modeled." I love how even though the background looks very uncared for, (it contains little detail. You can tell what everything is, but it definitely isn't photo-quality like the viscountess) it's still beautiful enough that it complements the her, but it isn't so important that it takes away from her or her beautiful dress.

This work by Reynolds is of an actress who preformed in a play called Love for Love, which was written by William Congreve. She has a fluffy, white dog in her lap. I picked this painting because her dress is absolutely stunning. The ruffles and frills, the elaborate lace and fluffy-ness, the light pink and white colors, and the flowing, soft texture given to the giant dress are done perfectly together. The woman looks like a modern girl, though, with her expression and black wristbands and her position on the chair- sitting backwards and leaning against the back of it. Her expression is curious, contributing to her youthful appearance.

Another work by the President of the Royal Academy, Reynolds, depicts the wife of Baron Sunderland of Lake. The lady is a solid, standing figure in front of an idealized landscape backdrop, which is very beautiful. Again, I picked this work mainly because of her dress. It looks like a light, flowing satin with chiffon. The color almost resembles a wedding dress, a slightly off-white with gold. The background is also beautiful and very peaceful, the entire scene very relaxed despite having to pose. It reminds me of when you're walking by and someone calls your name and takes a picture of you. It isn't a stiff pose, it's relaxed, but it wasn't like she was caught off guard and looks lost.

Considered to be one of Thomas Gainsborough's "finest full-length portraits in the tradition of Van Dyck," this painting of Mary Cathcart, who married the Perthshire landowner, was given to her sister after her death. Her dress is very fancy with pouf-y off-white satin rouching and red underneath, along with the off-white ribbons and white lace around her neck. The is also a little string of pearls, and Mary is holding a feather that matches the ones in her hat, while leaning against a column base and looking off into the distance. She seems to be on a hill, the background sky dark and cloudy, like a peaceful right after sunset scene. It's relaxing.