BOUCHER, François: Triumph of Venus
François Boucher's *Triumph of Venus* exemplifies the exuberant Rococo style that dominated French court art in the mid-18th century, celebrating sensuality, mythological fantasy, and ornamental beauty. Painted in 1743 during the height of Boucher's career as a favorite artist of Louis XV, the work showcases his masterful use of soft pastels and dynamic composition to glorify the goddess of love in a celestial procession. The painting's sumptuous details and playful allegorical narrative reflect the aristocratic tastes of the era, when such mythological subjects served as sophisticated entertainment for the French elite.