Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.

Combining art, fashion, science, and conservation, this revelatory exhibition brings together—for the first time—some 14 of the paintings known as the fantasy figures by Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). He is considered among the most characteristic and important French painters of his era, and the fantasy figure series—several rapidly executed, brightly colored paintings of lavishly costumed individuals—are some of his most beloved works. The subjects are depicted posed at leisure or employed in various pursuits, such as acting, reading, writing, playing instruments, or singing. 

Fragonard’s fantasy figures are shown alongside a newly discovered drawing covered with 18 thumbnail-sized sketches and apparently annotated in the rococo artist's own hand. The drawing, Sketches of Portraits, emerged at a Paris auction in 2012 and upended several long-held assumptions about the fantasy figures: 14 of the sketches have been identified with these paintings, and four presumably relate to works that remain unknown. All but one of the sketches are annotated with a name, presumably that of the person portrayed or the individual who commissioned the corresponding painting—thereby putting to rest a long-standing debate over whether the fantasy figures depict known individuals or imaginary models. At the National Gallery of Art, the emergence of this drawing prompted a two-year investigation of Young Girl Reading, conducted as a collaborative effort by Yuriko Jackall, assistant curator of French paintings, John K. Delaney, senior imaging scientist, and Michael Swicklik, senior conservator of paintings. Their findings establish Young Girl Reading as a part of the fantasy figure series and shed light upon Fragonard's approach to the ensemble as a whole.

Building upon this research, the exhibition explores the many interpretations of this series in the context of the artist's career and elucidates the development of that career, the identity of his sitters and patrons, and the significance of his innovative imagery. Fragonard strove to create a specific portrait type that showcased the painterly skill for which he was renowned. Created within the competitive atmosphere of the Parisian art world, these works were influenced by a range of events, artworks, and visitors to his studio. Shaped by artistic imagination, these paintings pushed the boundaries of accepted figure painting in the 18th century.

#FragonardFantasy

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Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Sketches of Portraits, c. 1769, drawing, Private collection

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Young Girl Reading, c. 1769, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mrs. Mellon Bruce in memory of her father, Andrew W. Mellon

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Woman with a Dog, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher Fund, 1937  

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, The Vestal, c. 1769–1771, oil on canvas, Private collection 

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, The Writer, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, Paris

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, M. de La Bretèche, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, Paris

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, The Singer, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Private collection

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, The Actor, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Private collection

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Portrait of a Man, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, Paris

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, The Warrior, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Cavalier Seated by a Fountain, c. 1769, oil on canvas, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Bequest of Francesc Cambó, 1949

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Man in Costume, c. 1767–1768, oil on canvas, The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Mary and Leigh Block in honor of John Maxon

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Anne‑François d’Harcourt, duc de Beuvron, c. 1770, oil on canvas, Private collection

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, François‑Henri, duc d’Harcourt, c. 1770, oil on canvas, Private collection

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Jean Honoré Fragonard, Portrait of a Man, c. 1775, Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux‑Arts de la Ville de Paris

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Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Attendance: 62,887

Catalog: Fragonard The Fantasy Figures. By Yuriko Jackall. Washington, D.C. : National Gallery of Art, 2017.