Love as Folly

Jean Honoré Fragonard

National Gallery of Art

This oval painting shows a cherubic figure floating in mid-air with one leg bent and arms outstretched. The cherub has curly hair, a round face, and rosy cheeks, and they are smiling gently. The figure is nude with a cloth draped over one shoulder, and in one hand they hold a flaming torch. Surrounding the cherub are white birds in flight. The background consists of pale blue and soft white clouds, with blooming pink flowers and foliage on the pale green ground.