Art, literature & historyVertumne et Pomone
François Boucher: 1703–1770
Other names (36)
Baucher, Bochée, Bouché, Boucher, boucher f., boucher fr., boucher francois, Boucher pere, Bouchers, Bouchet, Bouchey, Bouchez, Bouchier, Bourcher, F. Boucher, f. bouchor, franc. boucher, Françios Boucher, Francis Boucher, François Bouché, Francois Boucher, François Bouchet, François Bouchez, François Bourcher, Francois, French, Boucher, Francois, the elder Boucher, franc.s boucher, franqois boucher, Fransua Bushe, Franz Boucher, Fr Boucher, Le Boucher, M. Boucher, M. Boucher pere, pere Boucher, Suite de Boucher.
Biography
François Boucher (UK: BOO-shay, US: boo-SHAY; French: [fʁɑ̃swa buʃe]; 29 September 1703 – 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories, and pastoral scenes. He was perhaps the most celebrated painter and decorative artist of the 18th century.
A native of Paris, Boucher was the son of a lesser known painter Nicolas Boucher, who gave him his first artistic training. At the age of seventeen, a painting by Boucher was admired by the painter François Lemoyne. Lemoyne later appointed Boucher as his apprentice, but after only three months, he went to work for the engraver Jean-François Cars.
In 1720, he won the elite Grand Prix de Rome for painting, but did not take up the consequential opportunity to study in Italy until five years later, due to financial problems at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. On his return from studying in Italy he was admitted to the refounded Académie de peinture et de sculpture on 24 November 1731. His morceau de réception (reception piece) was his Rinaldo and Armida of 1734.
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Influenced by
- Joseph Avededitorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- François Lemoyneeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Charles-André van Looeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified.
Later influence
- Pierre-Auguste Renoireditorial inference
Evidence
Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Charles Michel-Ange Challeeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Jean-Honoré Fragonardeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Charles Michel-Ange Challeeditorial inference
Evidence
Boucher supported; Nicolas de Troy appears to be an unresolved or erroneous creator name and is held. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Jean-Baptiste Deshayseditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Benjamin Samuel Bolomeyeditorial inference
Evidence
Boucher identified; La Tour surname left unresolved. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
- Pierre-Antoine Baudouineditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Martin Ferdinand Quadaleditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Berthe Morisotdocumented
Evidence
Boucher is among the Rococo painters Morisot admired. The cited museum text was read and supports this relationship.
- Jean-Baptiste Le Princeeditorial inference
Evidence
Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.
- Philip Wilson Steereditorial inference
Evidence
The biography identifies François Boucher as an artistic influence on Philip Wilson Steer. The biography distinguishes Whistler's example from Steer's later old-master influences. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.
Artworks by year
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Museums & collections
Documented holdings of works attributed to François Boucher. Check the museum’s record for current display information.
- musée des beaux-arts et d'archéologie — Besançon30 recorded works
- National Gallery of Art24 recorded works
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art24 recorded works
- Musée du Louvre22 recorded works
- Art Institute of Chicago19 recorded works
- The Cleveland Museum of Art15 recorded works
- musée national du château de Fontainebleau — Fontainebleau8 recorded works
- musée Grobet-Labadié — Marseille5 recorded works
- Nationalmuseum5 recorded works
- Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts5 recorded works
- Musée Carnavalet3 recorded works
- Museo Nacional del Prado3 recorded works
- Walters Art Museum3 recorded works
- musée Condé — Chantilly2 recorded works
- musée de Picardie — Amiens2 recorded works
- musée des beaux-arts — Nîmes2 recorded works
- musée des beaux-arts — Orléans2 recorded works
- musée municipal — Louhans-Châteaurenaud2 recorded works
- National Gallery2 recorded works
- Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe2 recorded works
- A. G. Leventis Gallery1 recorded work
- Alte Pinakothek — Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen1 recorded work
- château musées — Blois1 recorded work
- Hermitage Museum1 recorded work
- J. Paul Getty Museum1 recorded work
- Kenwood House1 recorded work
- Minneapolis Institute of Art1 recorded work
- musée Baron Martin — Gray1 recorded work
- musée d'art Roger Quilliot — Clermont-Ferrand1 recorded work
- musée de l'hôtel Sandelin — Saint-Omer1 recorded work
- musée départemental d'art ancien et contemporain — Epinal1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts Antoine Lécuyer — Saint-Quentin1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Bordeaux1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Caen1 recorded work
- Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers, Angers, France1 recorded work
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris1 recorded work
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts et d’archéologie — Troyes1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Lille1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Marseille1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Rennes1 recorded work
- musée des beaux-arts — Tours1 recorded work
- musée des Beaux-Arts — Valenciennes1 recorded work
- musée Greuze - hôtel-Dieu — Tournus1 recorded work
- musée Hyacinthe Rigaud — Perpignan1 recorded work
- musée Ingres Bourdelle — Montauban1 recorded work
- musée Jean de la Fontaine — Château-Thierry1 recorded work
- musée Lambinet — Versailles1 recorded work
- Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza1 recorded work
- Palais-musée des Archevêques de Narbonne — Narbonne1 recorded work
- Sinebrychoff Art Museum1 recorded work