Earth: Vertumnus and Pomona (1749)
One of the few examples of Rococo art work this piece stands out - through placed near the ceiling trying to look up close is impossible without shifting back and forth. Earth: Vertumnus and Pomona shows an old woman, which according to Greek mythology is actually Vertumnus in disguise, with arms protectively around a young woman, Pomona, the two sit under the trees while a cherub tells all in the bottom corner of the piece. While the subject material, Vertumnus and Pomona, is of Greek mythology, Boucher uses symbols and light placing to illustrate the points of the story, through if one was looking at piece in the same year it was painted in (1749) they would see obvious clues showing it to be a "modern" piece with underlying myth and over laying of Rococo style.By placing "Earth:" in the title, Boucher is making a point of applying a theme of earth element on his painting. The painting of Vertumnus and Pomona shows them surrounded by trees, flowers, and fruits to show this. Examining the piece there is little to no other elements besides earth present; fire is completely absent, air is shown in the sky but the sky is crowded out by the trees, and while there is a fountain the water is barely trickling from it crevasse.
The title plays an assumption on the fact that only learned people would be viewing this particular painting. Through Boucher allows for the story to tell itself through the symbols he has placed throughout out the paining. Boucher uses lighting to place Pomona focus point of the painting, her milky white skin glowing from the light, revealing her as an entrancing lady. The artist succeeds in revealing what one could describe as his worship of the female body, a vulnerable roundness, and an almost essential innocence at the same time, with her demure face highlighted with pink cheeks. Through Vertumnus is also a main character of the tale his ladylove outshines him. Boucher through allows for him to be the second focus, through layering the paint to color the cloak that Vertumnus wears, it becomes a glowing “realistic” red cloak. The fruit placed at her feet looks almost as if it is between them - illustrated that a union of the two would be fruitful, and symbolically fidelity. The rich blue scarf placed around the old woman's head and the blue clothe Pomona is sitting on - reveals both of them to be gods, blue being the symbol of royalty, social if not physical power. Boucher's painting illustrates the scene's deception, through which love achieves fulfillment, in the mask being held as well as pointed at by winged cupid at Vertumnus' feet. Half illuminated the cherub is viewed as a afterthought, with grapes placed to it's side - the very same fruit that Vertumnus uses in the story to illustrate why “even a vine needs a tree to grow on” - if not the grapes would be stepped on.
Some topics in this essay:
Vertumnus Pomona,
Baroque Rococo,
Pomona Greek,
,
rococo style,
vertumnus pomona,
trees flowers,
painting boucher,
greek mythology,
boucher allows,
god orchards,
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Approximate Word count = 1082
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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