Abstract
In order to study the image of women in painting as reflecting changes in political and social context, I have chosen three works of art by three different artists, from three different periods. I will study these paintings in their historical context as a mirror of the evolutions of values. The first one is The Judgment of Paris by Jean Antoine Watteau (1718-1720). Watteau painted this work during the Regency of Philippe d'Orléans, which is a period of detente after the austerity of Louis XIV's last years. Mores (especially sexual mores) were much more relaxed and free, and the aristocracy lived in a luxurious and magnificent way. At the Royal Court, life was flighty and frivolous, and debaucheries were sometimes organized. This mood was reflected in arts, and Watteau symbolizes lightness, even though his art is very deep and poetic.
