FRANÇOIS BOUCHER

French painter and draftsman, François Boucher was one of the most important and influential artist in the 18th century. After training with François Lemoine, he won the Prix de Rome in 1723, and traveled in Italy from 1727 to 1731. He was admitted to the Royal Academy in 1734. In 1755 he was named Inspecteur at the manufactory of the Gobelins. Boucher was named Director of the Royal Academy and first painter to the King in 1765. A prolific and diverse artist, Boucher worked in almost every genre and technique: history painting, genre scenes, mythological and religious works, porcelain decorations, tapestry designs, book illustrations, and stage sets. Boucher was known as the painter of the Graces because of his predilection for voluptuous female nudes. In his compositions he favored idyllic themes executed in brilliant colors. Boucher’s style was so influential that it defined the look of the fine and decorative arts in Rococo France and Europe.