FRAGONARD, Jean-Honoré: The Progress of Love: The Meeting
Created in 1773 for the Parisian collector Bergeret, this painting is the opening panel of an ambitious four-part series celebrating the stages of romantic courtship, blending theatrical drama with intimate tenderness. The artist's masterful brushwork and delicate color palette—dominated by pale blues, pinks, and golden tones—create an atmosphere of fleeting pleasure and refined elegance that epitomizes the French aristocracy's romanticized vision of love.