The Spectator, May 12th, 2007
Garden of Love, created by Yinka Shonibare Musée du quai Branly, Paris, until 8 July
Nothing might seem more idyllic than Fragonard's large, manicured paintings of playful seduction. Executed in the early 1770s for Madame du Barry's Pavilion at Louveciennes, they celebrate the erotic rituals enacted by aristocratic lovers in the grounds of an opulent estate.
The young woman and her equally wellgroomed suitor dart, gesticulate and embrace among overflowing flower-beds dominated by classical urns and statues.
But by the time Yinka Shonibare has finished with them, in an elaborate and unnervi...
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