Galerie Paul Prouté

Best known as a painter and draftsman, François Boucher also began a career as an engraver at a very early age. After a brief stint in François Lemoine’s studio, he produced his first plates while working for the print dealer Jean-François Cars. At just nineteen years old, he caught the attention of Jean de Jullienne, who commissioned him to create several etchings based on works by Antoine Watteau. These prints were later compiled into the collections Figures de différents caractères and L’Œuvre gravée, dedicated to the work of the painter who died in 1721.

He then spent time in Rome with the Van Loo family before returning to Paris, where he was admitted to the Academy in 1731 and elected a full member in 1734. He quickly established himself as the painter of the moment and one of the leading figures of the Rococo. Supported by Madame de Pompadour, he held a prominent position at court until his appointment as First Painter to the King in 1765, following Van Loo’s death. An engraver himself, Boucher also saw his compositions widely disseminated through prints. A prolific and eclectic artist, he worked in a variety of fields, ranging from painting to the decorative arts, including tapestry, illustration, and theater set design.