François Boucher circle; 18th century.

Circle of FRANÇOIS BOUCHER (Paris,1703- 1770); XVIII century.
"Venus and Cupid".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It presents slight Repainting.
Measurements: 89 x 65 cm; 96 x 72 cm (frame).
Oil on canvas of the XVIII century, attributable to the close circle of François Boucher, embodies with particular subtlety the aesthetic ideals of the French rococo, in a mythological scene starring Venus, goddess of love and beauty, accompanied by her son. The goddess is depicted seated among ethereal clouds, crowned with a delicate floral ornament that reinforces her celestial character. In her hand she holds a mirror, a classic emblem of vanity, but also a symbol of divine beauty and self-reflection, while Cupid, a winged figure who embodies youthful and impulsive love, offers her a garland of flowers, a gesture that can be interpreted as a loving offering or a tribute to her seductive power.
The composition is organized with grace and balance, displaying a chromatic palette dominated by pastel tones, powdered pinks, soft light blue, pearly whites, which give the scene a vaporous and sensual atmosphere, characteristic of Boucher's pictorial universe and his artistic environment. The modeling of the figures, treated with delicacy and refinement, reveals a skillful execution close to the academic canons of the time, but imbued with a playful and decorative spirit that is unmistakably rococo.
François Boucher (1703-1770), a central figure in 18th century French art, was one of the most representative painters of the Rococo style. Trained initially under the tutelage of François Lemoyne and later in Italy after obtaining the prestigious Prix de Rome, Boucher developed a visual language characterized by its sensuality, his mastery of color and his penchant for mythological themes treated with lightness and gallantry. His close relationship with the court of Louis XV and, especially, with Madame de Pompadour, who was not only his patron but also his most fervent promoter, consolidated his career as an official painter of the monarchy and decorator of palace interiors. In addition to his prolific pictorial production, Boucher excelled as a designer of tapestries, engravings, porcelains and scenographies, actively participating in the artistic life of his time as director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and first painter of the king. His workshop trained numerous disciples and collaborators, who perpetuated his style even after his death, keeping his legacy alive in works such as the one presented here. This canvas, with its compositional elegance, idealized sensuality and exquisite attention to ornamental detail, is fully within that tradition, testifying to the validity of the Rococo ideal in French painting in the second half of the 18th century.