Artwork
The Stolen Kiss
The Stolen Kiss is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean Honoré Fragonard. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
This painting shows a young couple stealing a kiss. It’s small—just 45 by 55 cm—and painted in oils. The scene feels secret and playful, like something out of a private joke.
Fragonard painted it in 1787, right before big changes shook France. Aristocrats loved scenes like this back then—small, pretty, and full of quiet romance.
Want to see more like it? Look up Jean Honoré Fragonard.
Overview
The Stolen Kiss is a small oil painting on canvas, measuring 45 by 55 centimetres, created in 1787. It is attributed to French Rococo artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard and is housed in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young couple engaged in a secretive and playful romantic moment, capturing the intimacy of a stolen kiss. The scene is set in the foreground, emphasizing the couple's interaction.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint, The Stolen Kiss reflects the influence of Dutch Golden Age painting on Fragonard's work, characteristic of the Rococo style. The genre scene is rendered with a focus on delicate, quiet romance.
Context
Created in 1787, on the eve of the French Revolution, the painting represents a type of scene favoured by French aristocrats at the time, characterized by its small scale and depiction of private, intimate moments.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on 5 April 1732 in Grasse, the son of a glover, and moved with his family to Paris in 1738.
