18th century · Toilet, domestic work and silence of objects

The intimate rococo is not limited to the boudoir: toilet, kitchen, bath and everyday object reveal a painting attentive to private gestures, materials and slow time.

The 18th century developed a new taste for spaces and gestures of private life. The toilet can become a theater of beauty and desire, as at Natoire, where Psyche prepares for the gaze of Love and the spectator. Joseph-Marie Vien's antique bath retains a rococo elegance while announcing neoclassical sobriety. In contrast to these reveries, Jean Siméon Chardin observes kitchens, services, children and servants with silent attention. In contrast to these reveries, Jean Siméon Chardin observes kitchens, services, children and servants with silent attention. A woman peeling turnips is neither a heroine nor an allegory: posture, clothing, utensils and light give domestic work a slow dignity. In his still lifes, a silver goblet, a glass, a loaf or a few fruits become autonomous presences, constructed by the relationships of material and tone. Greuze introduces more narrative emotion into the family and childhood, while Fragonard makes the bed, the letter and the reading spaces of speed and secrecy. The intimate Rococo scene thus brings together sensuality, social observation and everyday material experience. The intimate Rococo scene thus brings together sensuality, social observation and everyday material experience. The "Rococo Intimate Scenes" selection notably compares Psyche at her toilet - Charles-Joseph Natoire and Young Greek Girl in the Bath - Joseph-Marie Vien. His reading favors color.

In intimate space, the simplest gesture can carry the whole picture: styling your hair, peeling, reading or putting down a cup is enough to organize a life.