A celebrated painter in 18th-century France who eventually became prémier peintre to Louis XV in 1765, François Boucher (1703 - 1770) was equally gifted as a draftsman. His best-known drawings exemplify the intimate and light-hearted style of rococo, which dominated much of the 18th century. He produced some 10,000 drawings during his career, often employing his wife and children as sitters. This outstanding book assembles new research on Boucher's drawings, examining his role in shaping the growing market for drawings in 18th-century France. It explores his development as a draftsman, his range of subjects and his innovations in the context of the greatest French draftsmen of his time.

A history of Francois Boucher (1703-1770), an originator of the Rococo style and one of the major French artists of the period. A general introduction is followed by essays on Boucher's early career, his impact on European art, his tapestry designs and his designs for Sevres porcelain.

While earlier studies have focused predominantly on artist François Boucher’s artistic style and identity, this book presents the first full-length interdisciplinary study of Boucher’s prolific collection of around 13,500 objects including paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, porcelain, shells, minerals, and other imported curios. It discusses the types of objects he collected, the networks through which he acquired them, and their spectacular display in his custom-designed studio at the Louvre, where he lived and worked for nearly two decades. This book explores the role his collection played in the development of his art, his studio, his friendships, and the burgeoning market for luxury goods in mid-eighteenth-century France. In doing so, it sheds new light on the relationship between Boucher’s artistic and collecting practices, which attracted both praise and criticism from period observers. The book will appeal to scholars working in art history, museum studies, and French history.

"This illustrated book, written by leading scholars and the result of years of research and technical analysis, catalogues nearly one hundred paintings, from works by Francois Clouet in the sixteenth century to paintings by Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun in the eighteenth. All these works are explored in detailed, readable entries that will appeal as much to the general art lover as to the specialist." --Book Jacket.

Exploring how the discrediting of Boucher and his school intersected with cultural debates about gender and class, this account of Boucher's art should persuade critics and admirers alike to take another, more considered look.

Catalog of an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, October 1, 2013-January 5, 2014.