BOUCHER, FRANcOIS (1703-177o), French painter, was born in Paris on Sept. 29, 1703, and died there May 3o, 1770. He was at first employed by Jean Francois Cars (1670-1739), the engraver, father of the engraver Laurent Cars (1699-1771), to make designs and illustrations for books. After four years spent in Rome he returned to Paris in 1731. He was made director of the Gobelins factory in 1755 and court painter in 1765, also direc tor of the Academy and inspector of the tapestry manufacture of Beauvais, and was employed by Madame de Pompadour both to paint her portrait and to execute various decorative works. His Watteau-like style gave him the title of the Anacreon of painting. The Wallace collection, London, contains the largest number and some of his finest works. A portrait of Madame de Pompadour is in the National Gallery of Edinburgh. Boucher was also a master of etching.
See E. Michel, Francois Boucher (2nd ed. 1907) ; C. M. Bearne, A Court Painter and his Circle (1913) .