François Boucher

French painter. Born and died in Paris. He was taught painting by his father, who was also a painter, and studied under François Lemoyne, who later became the chief painter of Louis XV. He won the Prix de Rome in 1723. He stayed in Italy from 1727 to 1731, and was influenced by the decorative painter Tiepolo. After returning to France in 1734, he was inducted into the Academie for his work Renaud and Armide (Louvre Museum). He was a representative of French Rococo art, which was succeeded by Watteau and continued by Fragonard, and he excelled in the sweet and gorgeous wall decorations of the dynasty. In addition to mythological, allegorical, and portrait paintings, he also painted rural landscapes and genre scenes, and worked on tapestries and ceramic designs, as well as stage decorations for plays and operas. He also published a collection of prints based on the drawings of Watteau, whom he was devoted to. He is also famous as a leading figure in the Chinese style (chinoiserie), which was popular at the time. He reached the height of his career under the patronage of Madame de Pompadour, the favorite mistress of Louis XV, and in 1765 he became the king's chief painter and president of the Academie. While Diderot, a contemporary critic, admired Boucher's color, composition, and the richness of his subjects, he criticized his lack of pursuit of truth. His representative works include the murals at the Soubise House, "The Triumph of Venus" (1733, Stockholm Museum of Art), "Odalisque" (1743, Louvre Museum), and "Madame de Pompadour" (1758, London, Wallace Collection).

[Shigeru Someya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの画家。パリに生まれ、同地に没。画家の父に絵の手ほどきを受け、のちにルイ15世の首席画家となるフランソア・ルモワーヌに師事する。1723年ローマ賞を獲得。27年から31年までイタリア滞在、装飾画家ティエポロの影響を受ける。帰国後の34年『ルノーとアルミード』（ルーブル美術館）によってアカデミー会員に迎えられた。彼は、ワトーを受け継ぎフラゴナールに継承されていくフランス・ロココ美術の代表者で、王朝趣味の甘美で華麗な壁面装飾を得意とした。神話画、寓意(ぐうい)画、肖像画のほか、田園風景画や風俗画も描き、タペストリーや陶器の図柄、演劇や歌劇の舞台装飾も手がけている。また、傾倒していたワトーの素描をもとに模刻版画集も出版している。当時流行した中国趣味（シノワズリー）の第一人者としても名高い。ルイ15世の寵姫(ちょうき)ポンパドゥール夫人の庇護(ひご)を受けて全盛を極め、65年には国王の首席画家となり、同時にアカデミーの会長に就任した。同時代の評論家ディドロは、ブーシェの色彩と構図と対象の豊麗さに感嘆しながらも、そこに真実の追求がないことを批判している。代表作には、スービーズ邸の壁画をはじめ、『ビーナスの凱旋(がいせん)』（1733・ストックホルム美術館）、『オダリスク』（1743・ルーブル美術館）、『ポンパドゥール夫人』（1758・ロンドン、ウォーレス・コレクション）などがある。

［染谷　滋］

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