From 1745 to 1765, twenty short years that correspond almost exactly to the ?reign? of Louis XV's favorite, Madame de Pompadour, French painting went through a period of intense creativity that challenged the prevalent artistic dogmas. Violent aesthetic debates enlivened the ?Pompadour generation?, which was also the generation ago the authors of the Encyclopedia. A new fascination with historical and archeological research gave rise to art criticism and art history, while salons, art patrons and commissions multiplied. At the same time, powerful figures such as Fragonard, Boucher, Chardin and Greuze developed personal styles of painting situated between eroticism and naturalism. This book is based on an exhibition organized by the Portland Art Museum and Museum of Fine Arts in Tours, France.