Francois BoucherFrench, 1703–1770Fountain with Two Tritons Blowing Conch Shells
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Fountain with Two Tritons Blowing Conch Shells” now? Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Cleveland, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
In this early chalk drawing, François Boucher combined plants, dolphins, rocks, shells, and tritons (mythological creatures that are part man and part fish) into a design that was meant to suggest a fountain in a rocky garden grotto. This sheet represents l'art rocaille, or "rock and shell art," a style of ornament that developed in France during the 1730s and featured decorative compositions with abundant detail. The image was one of seven that the printmaker Gabriel Huquier translated as etchings around the time Boucher completed them. These reproductions helped to bring Boucher's work to a broader audience, including other artists who emulated his style.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 1952.529
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
In the life of Francois Boucher
The whole life1720–1770 · Workplace
Paris
1730–1740s
Major Official Commissions for Versailles
He received major commissions for the decoration of the apartments of Versailles: The Royal Virtues (1735) in the Queen's chamber, hunting scenes for the Petits Appartements (1736), Venus and Vulcan (1747) in the Dauphin's apartments, and History for the Royal Library (1743–1746).
1735
Begins Teaching at the Academy
He began teaching at the Academy as an assistant, together with Charles Van Loo and Charles-Joseph Natoire.
1735
Daughter born: Jeanne-Élisabeth Victoire Deshays
4 May 1736
Son born: Juste-Nathan François Boucher
1737
Professor at the Royal Academy
He became a professor at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
