A painting a day · No. 15 of 38
The Swing
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806)
c. 1767 · Oil on canvas · The Wallace Collection, London
The story
A playful, slightly naughty picture from the France of Louis XV. A young woman flies high on a swing, pushed by an older man in the shadows, while her lover hides in the bushes below and gets a very good view.
Look closer
- Her pink slipper flying off into the air.
- The statue of Cupid on the left, finger to his lips: keep it secret.
- The young man's hat in his outstretched hand.
Did you know
It was cleaned and restored in 2021. Under the yellowed varnish the colours were far brighter than anyone living had seen.
Why we can show it
Jean-Honoré Fragonard died in 1806. UK copyright lasts for the artist’s life plus 70 years, so even under today’s rules this painting would have been free for anyone to show since 1877. The photograph is a faithful copy of a flat work, which creates no new copyright. We do not store the picture: it comes from Wikimedia Commons each time it is needed. More on this.