The exhibition shows around 70 of the artist’s works on paper from private and public collections in France, including the Musée du Louvre.

François Boucher (1703-1770) became an artist apprentice at the age of 17 and got early inspiration from painters such as Antoine Watteau and Peter Paul Rubens. Rather than his predecessors’ narrative historical paintings, Boucher developed a new and more sensual style, which became known by the name “rococo”.

The interest in Boucher in 1700s Europe was large. In 1755, he became director of the royal Gobelins (tapestries) in Beauvais, and in 1765 he was promoted to royal court painter. The Royal Danish House also bought works by Boucher, among others paintings for the first Christiansborg Palace, which later burned together with the palace. Today, paintings and Gobelins by Boucher hang in The Great Hall and in salons in Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

Princess Marie will be on hand for the opening and vernissage of the exhibition on Thursday, 16 August at 17.00. The exhibition will run until 4 November 2012.