A Young Girl Reading

This painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, dated around 1770, shows an unidentified young woman seated in profile in a corner, absorbed in a small book with red-edged pages that she holds in her right hand, while her left rests on the arm of a seat. It belongs to the Rococo, and its mood is calmer than that of other scenes by the artist about aristocratic youth. Her upright posture, despite the large cushion, suggests an upbringing centred on decorum. Colour plays a central role: deep purples in the cushion, walls and armrest frame the lemon-yellow dress and rosy skin, producing an impression of warmth and a certain sensuality. Fragonard applies loose yet energetic brushstrokes, visible in the ruffles of the dress, which distinguish textures and create depth. It is a genre painting rather than a portrait, and X-ray examination reveals that the canvas originally showed a different head, later reworked by the artist. It is among the so-called fantasy figures, painted quickly.

Painter

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Date

1770

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

81 × 65 cm

Museum

Galería Nacional de Arte, Washington, D.C.

Movement

Rococo

Genre

genre art, portrait

Depicts

cushion, sitting, chignon, waist-length hair, shadow, reading, dress, armrest

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