ALL EYES ON highlights a work or group of works, a significant artist personality or artistic position, guest appearances by individual loans, important restorations, or new acquisitions in the midst of the gallery. The artistic as well as technical qualities of the paintings, their content and significance, their history of creation and impact, and their creators are illuminated in the context of the collection. This opens up new, current perspectives and diverse insights into the research work at the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen.
François Boucher’s sensual depiction of a young woman lying unclad on a sofa rests entirely within the period of its origin, the Rococo. For his depiction of erotic nudity, the painter dispenses with any customary mythological-historical frame – something that was still a risk even in the Age of Enlightenment. For whom, however, was the painting intended? Why are the layers of paint in such a fragile condition? And do we know anything about the person depicted? Many questions crop up on encountering this painting once again that has since been analysed art-technologically, conserved and restored at the Doerner Institut and will return to the rooms of the Alte Pinakothek in February.

Resting girl, 1752 (Condition after restoration)
© Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Alte Pinakothek Munich
All Eyes On
François Boucher’s "Resting Girl"
Alte Pinakothek
18.02.2025 — 06.07.2025
Room XII


Back in the Gallery
François Boucher, one of the preeminent artists of the French Rococo, painted the Munich version of Resting Girl in 1752. This painting is among the works that have been on permanent display at the Alte Pinakothek since 1909–10. It was previously presented at the Hofgarten Gallery and the Schleissheim Gallery, after arriving in Munich with the Zweibrücker collection in 1799. An earlier version of the painting, dated 1751, is part of the collection of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne (fig. 1); it is likely that other versions once existed and are now lost. Within the scope of a research project on the French paintings at the Alte Pinakothek, the picture was examined using art-technological methods and then conserved and restored. This presentation marks its return to the gallery.
Cabinet Piece from the Rococo Period
The painting depicts a nude young woman on a daybed. Instead of attributing a mythological role to the scene, as had long been the case in such depictions of the naked body, Boucher renounced this practice. Although this was daring even in the age of Enlightenment, it was not new in Boucher’s work: in the 1740s he had already painted similar scenes with a dark-haired model (fig. 2). Such paintings depicting erotic themes were intended for private picture cabinets. One such cabinet was configured by Abel François Poisson de Vandières, Madame de Pompadour’s brother and director general of the royal buildings, around 1752; he acquired the picture of “a young woman resting on her belly” from Boucher for it—certainly one of the versions of Resting Girl. The paintings by the other three artists who were included in this cabinet featured nude figures that followed the tradition of mythological subjects. Libertine and culturally educated members of the court circles such as the Vandières were able to appreciate Boucher’s special approach due to their familiarity with the tradition of disguising nudity using historical and mythological elements. It is likely that the conversations conducted in these intimate picture cabinets were related not only to the frivolous nature of the pictures but also their artistic qualities.
Who Is the Person Depicted in Resting Girl?
While older inventories and catalogues always considered the person depicted in this painting to be anonymous, the 1911 catalogue of the Alte Pinakothek first established a connection to Marie-Louise O’Murphy (1737–1814), who became the mistress of King Louis XV in 1753. Although this identification is popular, it remains hypothetical. It is ultimately based on a rumor from 1753 that is mentioned in several sources. A particularly concise note written by the Parisian police in May of that year states that O’Murphy, the youngest of a number of sisters from a humble family, had become the mistress of Louis XV after Vandières had shown the king Boucher’s painting of her in the nude. The king demanded to see the model depicted in the painting. This story clearly refers to the version of Resting Girl that was in Vandières’s possession. However, the final police report questions the substance of the anecdote. Not least because of various inconsistencies in other sources, it seems appropriate to exercise caution with regard to the identification of the model.
The Shadow of Social History
Although we cannot be positively sure about her identity, we can assume that the real-life model of Resting Girl occupied a social and moral gray zone. If a painter wished to make female nude studies at this time, it had to be arranged in private. At the Royal Academy in Paris it was only possible to study male nude models and older works of art. We can imagine the more complex social and historical realities that are hidden behind this sensuously elegant cabinet picture. This includes the understanding that the model’s young age was obviously not considered a taboo; according to the laws in effect at the time, twelve-year-old girls and fourteen-year-old boys were eligible for marriage. Admittedly, we view this picture differently today than it was seen in the eighteenth century. This offers an opportunity to consider contemporary issues of perception and representation of the female body as well as reflect on accountability, power, and dependence. Feel free to write the full variety of your thoughts and opinions about this in the book that is provided here for this purpose.
The Genesis of the Painting
This painting is also a material object. Much can be learned about eighteenth-century craftsmanship and painting techniques by carefully examining it. The canvas, which is attached to the stretcher in a traditional manner, was prepared with two layers of colored ground, upon which the design for the composition was laid out and then painted with brushes and paint. Boucher achieved the rich variety of tones using multicolored mixtures of pigments (fig. 3).
Even from today’s perspective, Boucher’s handling of the brush is impressive: according to its position within the composition, the colors were either softly blended or modeled with strong, visible brushstrokes. It is possible to recognize the various sizes of the brushes Boucher used according to the characteristic style of the brushstroke (fig. 4). A final, transparent layer of varnish added a glossy finish and provided protection.
The Conservation of the Painting
In addition to contributing to a better understanding of Boucher’s working method, the knowledge gained from art-technological examination also serves to develop suitable measures for conserving the painting. A particular challenge was posed by the unusual additional layer between the ground and the paint layer. Composed of starch and protein, this layer reacts to fluctuations in humidity by changing its volume, resulting in lifting or flaking of the paint layer.
Within the scope of the conservation measures, the discolored layer of varnish was removed to provide free access to the loosened paint flakes. Using a consolidant that could be precisely applied in tiny drops using a fine brush, these loose areas were stabilized (fig. 5). Following the consolidation of the painted layer, detailed retouching of paint losses could be done with a brush (fig. 6). New varnish was then applied, bringing back the original gloss and depth of light to the painting.
What do you think?
In the run-up to the presentation, we talked to many people about François Boucher’s painting Resting Girl. It soon became apparent that it is perceived very differently. Some find it amusing, others provocative; for some, it sparks curiosity about the 18th century, while others find themselves thinking of social power dynamics and the #MeToo debate.
How do you see Boucher’s Resting Girl?
What is the girl in the picture thinking just now and how might she be feeling?
What comes to mind when looking at this picture and how does it make you feel?
How distant or how close are we to the world of the 18th century today?
What would a comparable picture look like today? What would be different?
What do you think about the way this type of erotic art has been shown in our museum up until now?
Share your thoughts on the painting with us and other visitors by recording them in the book on site or digitally here!