Francois Boucher’s Lovers in a Park currently hangs in the Timken Museum, located in San Diego California. Dated 1758, this oil-on-canvas, French masterpiece measures 91 ½ inches in length by 76 ¾ inches in width. It rests boldly on a salmon colored wall lit by overhead, fluorescent lights. Similar to the painting, the physical space itself is airy and almost unencumbered. Cathedral ceilings allow for the viewer to feel open and free while absorbing the content of the exhibit. The piece is bordered by a gold, gilded frame that speaks to the elegance of the artwork. The sheer size of the canvas, coupled with its central placement in the gallery, gives the work a commanding presence. While the surface analytics are certainly valuable, they simply set the stage for the artistic intricacies and story of the painting.
Boucher employs fluid brush strokes and engages the viewer with deep, pastel paints. The cozy, wooded landscape gives way to an uninhibited look and feel. The three characters shown are gracefully portrayed, projecting a fairy-tale like presence. A young woman, of servant stature, moves to the left of a youthful couple. The servant, locking eyes with the man to her right, carries baskets full of flowers while stepping forward with evident grace. Gorgeous and radiant, the servant directs the man’s attention away from his lover and towards her seductive gaze. The man’s lover rests comfortably on his right thigh; however, contrary to her relaxed posture, her facial tells indicate a level of irritation and sorrow. Below the pensive woman lays a dog, cocking his head curiously in the direction of the young servant. The man finds himself distracted from his current task of weaving flowers into the silky blonde hair of his lover, seated beneath him. This seemingly simple scene carries undertones that insinuate the emotional dynamics of the scene are more challenging than the surface might suggest. Both art-focused academics as well as behavioral experts have examined the work through a critical lens and have provided insight into the material Boucher was tackling with this piece.
In order to fully absorb and examine a work of art, one must engage both visually and intellectually with the piece. When beginning a visual exploration, one might note the setting of the gallery. The galleries environment has the potential to influence the physical features of the work while also establishing a tone for the nature of the art itself. After, the gallery has been taken into account the medium of the work as well as the color and style used must be considered. These help to drive the emotion the artist is trying to convey. It then serves the viewer well to explore some of the situational cues that might indicate deeper subject matter that the artist is trying to explore. This ties into the intellectual aspect of the evaluation. Acknowledging the time period as well as the artist’s backstory may provide clues as to what he or she is attempting to express. When taken as an aggregate, the aspects of this approach will help the viewer fully understand and appreciate the work the lies in front of them.