Both Jean-Honore Fragonard’s painting The Swing and Nicolas Poussins Et in Arcadia Ego are reflective of Neoclassical art. As the name suggests, the art of this era was very much appreciated and was inspired by the traditions of the art of antiquity as seen in the recurring Greek and Roman motifs as opposed to depicting scenes more contemporary to the time.
The Swing is in the Rococo is the beginnings of a long standing precedence of strict art conventions following the canonization of grandiose and hyperrealistic art of the Baroque period. Instead, Rococo work has a whimsical feeling to it reflected by its less precise brushwork and a move towards longer brushstrokes. This painting has a playful atmosphere with the shoe flying off in the moment and the hidden lover outstretching his arm. Depicted are the upper classes of society as indicated by the formal wear of the figures in the painting. The man behind the woman in the scene is not only literally pushing her in the swing but the scene could also be considered a metaphor for how one person in a relationship might push the other to infidelity. The infidelity of the woman in this scene is suggested by her seeming awareness to another man hidden in the bushes looking up the woman’s dress. The narrative of this scene is a departure from the predominantly political and/or biblical narratives typically portrayed in European art in the eras preceding this one. This link from a publication by Radford University discusses the emergence of Rococo style in response to the Baroque art preceding it.
Nicolas Poussin’s Et in Arcadia Ego, 1655 is very exemplary of Neoclassical arts appreciation for classic art especially in the garments worn by the figures. Three shephards and a women gather around the tomb for examination. “ I exist even in Arcadia” written on the tomb as if the dead is talking. Translation: “Even in Arcadia, there am I.” Nobody knows who’s really in the tomb. Background describes Arcadia (mountainous and vegetated). The figures seem distraught probably in response to the text on the tomb.
The video above between experts from Smarthistory discuss how the figures might be reacting to the translation and insight into the translation itself.