Art Talk with Fragonard's "The Swing"

Part three: uncovering the promiscuous narrative through cheeky symbolism and historical reference

“The Swing” has such a hilarious and provocative narrative. My art history professor once told me that it had to be hidden under a red curtain and the patron selectively chose who could view the piece.

I think we, as a contemporary society, have this really knee-jerk reaction to romanticize and overdramatize historical art pieces. We think every work has a profound and almost overwhelming message hidden under all the layers of oil paint. At first glance, the painting admittedly looks nothing like what it truly means. Initially, I had no idea what it meant either - simply thinking that this was just an innocent but playful scene. It is not until you start looking at each object separately, you begin to question what is truly happening.

So, I’ll give you three seconds to look at the work for yourself and see what you believe the narrative is.

(Pause for three seconds)

Wow, kind of felt like the final Jeopardy question right? Alright, so I want you to remember this narrative that you have created in your head as we begin to examine each key object and their relationship.

When I begin to analyze a work, I always attempt to create a simple sentence from looking at it. So, for me, this is a scene depicting a girl on a swing while man is hidden in a bush and an older gentleman controls her swing.

And then, I break it down to the subjects the initially caught my eye. So let’s start off with the girl in the beautiful pink dress. She is happy, giddy, almost delirious in delight as she shamelessly kicks up her skirt and loses her shoe. Now if we take history into consideration, in the 1760s, women were still restricted in showing their form, especially the legs. Anything above the shin would have been absolutely treacherous but the central figure doesn’t seem to care. She smiles teasingly at the man below her.

The younger gentleman is dressed in a teal suit, nearly matching the bushes he is laying in. He moves to use his left arm to push away the tops of the bushes while being propped on his right arm, gaining a better view of…the woman and her skirt. He is gleeful as well, smiling brightly in a fit of shock and bliss, face flushed with a youthful glow.

Finally, there is a man that stands in the background to the right of the composition. He is behind the lady in pink and seated on the stone railing. He uses two hands to guide the ropes and control her swing, pulling backward to leverage her higher. He too wears a suit similar to the younger male in the lower left and matches the expression of the other figures.

Okay, so we have a basis of a storyline. However, let’s look further into the context clues and see what we can pick up from the various details, starting off with the statues. The statue that catches my eye the most is the large, winged figure on the left.

It is believed that Fragonard took inspiration from Etienne-Maurice Falconnet’s Seated Cupid created in 1757. Here a domineering cupid, shrouded in shadows, places a finger upon his lips while setting his gaze on the swinging woman.

The garden statues showcase two adorable cherubs, leaning on what seems to be a bee-hive. Traditionally, bee-hives represented overabundance, fertility, and, in specifically Christian art, hardworking, and diligence. One of the cherubs looks up towards the central pink figure in a look of acknowledgment.

Finally, you might just miss it if you weren’t looking, is a small white dog in the lower right corner. He is on his hind legs, using his front paws to balance himself on the garden railings. It seems as if the dog is barking at the pink figure. In most works, dogs are considered to be representations of loyalty, fidelity, and love.

So let’s pull away from the details and return to the larger picture. Was your personal narrative correct or did these subjects change your mind?

Personally, I have two narratives that always come to mind when looking at this painting:

A scandalous affair

Considering the symbols, the haughtiness of the pink lady and the younger gentleman, and the blissful ignorance of the older gentleman in the shadows - this could very well be the narrative. The woman in pink’s lover hides within the bushes to gaze up at the fruitful peep show above him. The metal railings that surround the flower bush hint that this is not a zone meant to be explored. The dog barking up against the railing could be hinting at this hidden figure, however, due to the eccentric activities, I am sure the older gentleman thinks nothing of it.

However, the only qualm I have with this storyline is the fact that the supposed patron, Baron de Saint Julien, commissioned this work to be of his beautiful mistress. It is rumored that his figure, is the one taking the reigns of the swing. If this is the case, why would he want a painting of his mistress looking at a younger man? I would make more sense if he was the younger gentleman but most historians do not think this is the case.

This brings me to option two….

Menage a trois

Yeah, you read that right. This painting is a glorified sexual innuendo. This meaning paired with the symbols of love, secrecy, and fertility set in an overabundant garden is jus undeniable. Art historians, Clive Hart and Kay Stevensoncall, believe that “The Swing” is an implication of the woman being on top. The lady in pink is able to swing freely, moving back and forth as her younger lover lifts his erotic and phallic arm.

And on top of that, swinging as its own action was seen as well…”sexy.” Art historian Jennifer Milam states that the aristocracy took up swinging to “loosen up,” allowing the swingers to enjoy a sense of vertigo while teasing viewers with a glimpse of their body often reserved for more private affairs. Their faces flush as they reach the highest peak of the swing almost like…well you know.

So yes, I truly believe that Fragonard’s “The Swing” is meant to hint at a very friendly and passionate menage a trois, especially when taking in the background of the piece.

I want to thank everyone who has joined us for this three-part mini-series so far and hope that you are safe. I know everything is very scary and turbulent during this time but please continue to take of yourself, promote kindness, and take the time to disconnect from media.

And that’s art.