In summer 2021, Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s (1732–1806) treasured rococo painting The Swing underwent gentle cleaning and restoration. This is a process that all paintings of a certain age must go through occasionally in order to keep them safe for our visitors to enjoy, now and in the future. Following this treatment, which was shortlisted for Conservation Project of the Year at the 2021 Museum and Heritage Awards, The Swing returned to our galleries, its brilliant colours sparkling afresh, just as Fragonard originally intended.

Explore The Swing and its themes in the film below, and click through to our dedicated site where you can learn more about what the conservation process revealed. Here you will also be able to discover key themes of the painting and trace the resonance of this work of art in contemporary culture.

Shortlisted for Conservation Project of the Year at the 2021 Museum and Heritage Awards.

Funds for the conservation of The Swing were generously provided to The Wallace Collection by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.