Public Talk : ‘Playful Fantasies : Visions of Nature in Eighteenth-Century French Art’

This event is part of Art History Festival 2025 organised by the Association for Art History.

Join Alexander Collins, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Wallace Collection, and Dr Barbara Lasic, Senior Lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, for a lavish and evocative visual exploration of the representation of nature in eighteenth-century French art.

This talk will consider how some of the most celebrated artists and craftsmen of the period such as Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honoré Fragonard or Jean-Henri Riesener drew inspiration from nature for their work. It will also offer a tantalising insight into the magnificent interiors and enchanting gardens created for Madame de Pompadour and Queen Marie-Antoinette.

View the full festival programme, here.

Image credit: Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.