Le Songe d'Amour 1745 - 1947

Jean-Honoré Fragonard created this print, "Le Songe d'Amour" or "The Dream of Love", using etching and aquatint. The image presents a sleeping warrior visited in his dreams by a vision of love. Prints like this one circulated widely in 18th century France, allowing artists to disseminate their ideas beyond the walls of elite institutions like the Royal Academy. The print's iconography is fascinating. We see a soldier, a symbol of masculine duty, but he is asleep, dreaming not of battle but of love. The goddess-like figure and hovering cupids suggest a softening of traditional heroic values in French society at this time. Analyzing the print involves understanding the institutions that shaped artistic production and consumption in 18th century France. Researching the patronage system, the role of the Academy, and the market for prints can reveal much about the social conditions that influenced Fragonard's work. It highlights the interplay between art, society, and the evolving values of the era.