Springtime

Two young lovers share a single swing in this romantic scene, their bodies leaning together as if the rest of the world has faded away. Pierre-Auguste Cot painted "Springtime" in 1873, and it caused a stir when it went on view at the Paris Salon that same year. Warm light drifts down through the leaves, catching the woman's flowing white gown and the man's rich orange robe, both of which glow against the deep greens of the surrounding forest. Their tender expressions and the gentle push of the swing suggest a private moment of pure happiness.

Cot trained under the famous William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and that teaching shows in the smooth, careful way he shaped every face, limb, and fold of fabric. The choice of season is no accident, since spring has always stood for young romance and fresh starts. Audiences fell so hard for the image that it was copied endlessly, appearing on prints, decorations, and even advertisements for decades afterward. The original now lives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where its sweet, old-fashioned charm still wins over visitors who like their art with a touch of storybook feeling.