Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog

Art Historical Context

Jean Honoré Fragonard *Marie Emilie Coignet deson (1716–1806) with a Dog* (ca. 1769) captures the elegance of an aristocratic sitter in oil on canvas, a medium favored for its luminous depth and ability to convey texture in 18th-century portraiture At 32 x 25 3/4 inches, this work from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Fragonard’s Rococo style—playful, sensual, and with a lighthearted intimacy that defined the final flourish of the French ancien régime. Painted when Marie Emilie was in her fifties, the portrait features her with a loyal dog, a motif symbolizing fidelity and refinement among the nobility. Fragonard’s signature loose brushwork and vibrant palette bring a sense of immediacy and charm, softening the formality of traditional portraiture with Rococo’s emphasis on pleasure and emotion. This piece reflects the cultural vogue for companion animals in elite circles, blending personal affection with displays of status just before the upheavals of the Revolution. Acquired through the Fletcher Fund in 1937, it invites visitors to savor the fleeting grace of pre-Revolutionary France, where art celebrated life’s joys amid brewing change.

About the Artist

Jean Honoré Fragonard · 1732–1806

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. Born in Grasse, he moved to Paris where he trained under Jean-Baptiste Chardin and François Boucher, winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1752. After studying in Italy alongside Hubert Robert, Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761 to fi...