Jean-Henoré Fragonard (1771 to 73). The Meeting [oil on canvas]. The Frick Collection, New York.

This work of Naturalism is formally stable, yet charged with apprehension. Unlike artists of more recent movements, Fragonard does not rely on severe simplification and inaccessibility to express the intended emotional content. A story is clearly told in this work of design, but this masterpiece is centered on inspiring an intermingled emotional welling of anticipation and dread.

The unification of hue, value and chroma is absolute. The way this work rolls its reliance on purity and value contrasts to define shapes is a primary source of the visual satisfaction it offers. Organic, swelling, and rounded edges build an underlying, flowing pattern for the highlighted subjects and their emotions to shine through. The unification of these qualities approaches the richness, but not the density, typical of van Eyck. I am arguing that time is the primary element of this piece because the foundation these qualities inspire set up the emotional content and mid-motion tension.

The field of view is compressed, but the illusion of depth is as strong as its color unity. This illusion is based on the unique method Fragonard uses to define value, edges and details. The net effect of this work's directional thrusts and integration of the canvas edges give this piece a distinct impression that more than half of it is missing. The only forces at work to counter this movement are the motion of the woman and gestures of foliage breaking up the sky. Beautiful asymmetric balance is struck.

Sensuality is suggested by the organic, roiling character of surrounding shapes, the warmth and brightness that formats the dimensions of their color and the heat centered on the focused area of the realm the couple is half a moment from building together. Textural focus follows how depth is organized, and its luxuriousness closely follows the emotional tone. In the end, implied directional forces do more to direct the eye than the waves of elemental contrasts Fragonard has installed in the canvas.

The emotional tension of this work is matched and supported by Fragonard’s formal choices. Organic, swelling, feminine forms and tone overpower artificial, rigid and masculine ones. Equivalencies in chroma, two basic shape sizes and types of definition underpin its roiling nature, beautiful texture, and overall embellished formatting. Organic unification describes this masterpiece.