François Boucher was a prolific French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. He was one of the most celebrated painters of the 18th century, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories, and pastoral scenes(the latter were somewhat influenced by his work creating stage sets and tapestry designs). He came under harsh criticism later in his career, when his work was labelled as trivial, decorative, and at times, erotic. The dark-haired version of the Odalisque portraits prompted claims by the art critic Denis Diderot that Boucher was "prostituting his own wife".