Artwork
Book of Fountains: No. 3
Book of Fountains: No. 3 is a print by the Baroque artist Gabriel Huquier. It dates from 1736 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Book of Fountains: No.
About this work
This print shows three fancy fountains with shells, waves, and curvy shapes. The Rococo style loved playful details like these.
Rococo was big in 18th-century France. It used light colors, natural curves, and shell designs. These fountains feel dreamy, not real.
Check out the shells on the middle fountain. See how they curve like waves? Visit Gabriel Huquier (French, 1695–1772).
Overview
Book of Fountains: No. 3 is a print by François Boucher, a prominent designer of ornament prints. It showcases three fantastical fountains with intricate designs.
Subject & Meaning
The print features fountains with aquatic motifs, shells, and curvilinear forms, exemplifying the playful and whimsical nature of the Rococo style. The designs are not meant to be realistic, but rather evoke a dreamlike quality.
Technique & Style
The Rococo style, from which the print is derived, is characterized by light colors, naturalistic curves, and shell motifs. The use of scrolls and plant forms adds to the overall sense of playfulness and ornamentation.
Context
The Rococo style was popular in 18th-century France, and Boucher's print is a representative example of this aesthetic. The style's emphasis on natural curves and shell designs reflects the era's fascination with collecting and displaying exotic shells.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gabriel Huquier (1695–1772) was an entrepreneurial French drawer (artist), engraver, printmaker, publisher, and art collector, who became a pivotal figure in the production of French 18th-century ornamental etchings and engravings
Book of Fountains: No. 5
The Goddess, Diana on the Clouds
The Senses: Touch (after Boucher)
Amusement, Arabesque
The Buffoon, Arabesque
No. 1: Title Page
Silver Sculptural Project for a Large Centerpiece and Two Tureens Which Have Been Executed for His Lordship the Duke of Kingston, plate 115 from Works of Juste-Aurèle Meissonier (Oeuvre de Juste-Aurèle Meissonier)
Book of Fountains: No. 4
Rococo Fountain with Lovers and the Four Elements
Project d'une Grotte (Plan for a Grotto)
Fountain: Grotesque, Children and Basin (Une fountaine: Masque, enfants et bassin)
Dessein d'une Fontaine orné avec les quatre Elements (Design for a Fountain Decorated with the Four Elements)
Das Waldfräulein (The Lady of the Forest)
Le Rendez-vous
Fountain: Grotesque, Children and Basin (Une fountaine: Masque, enfants et bassin)