布歇出生在巴黎，从小就跟随父亲学画，所以20岁时就获得了美术学院罗马奖。其后到意大利游学四年，研究了一些意大利装饰画家的作品。布歇是一个多产画家，而且绘制舞台上的背景画，以及绘制波微和哥布兰等地纺织品的图案画。在这期间，布歇特别受到路易十五情妇蓬巴杜尔夫人的看重,1735年被介绍进入宫廷,成为上流社会最红的画家，晚年被封为宫廷首席画师。布歇不仅擅长于绘制神话题材的作品，而且又擅长于其他各种题材的作品，他是法国罗可可艺术最佳画家。
BOUCHER, FRANCOIS (1703-1770), French painter, was born in Paris, and at first was employed by Jean Fran�ois Cars (1670-1739), the engraver, father of the engraver Laurent Cars (1699-1771), to make designs and illustrations for books. In 1727, however, he went to Italy, and at Rome became well known as a painter. He returned to Paris in 1731 and soon became a favourite in society. His picture Rinaldo and Armida (1734) is now in the Louvre. He was made inspector of the Gobelins factory in 1755 and court painter in 1765, and was employed by Madame de Pompadour both to paint her portrait and to execute various decorative works. He died in 1770. His Watteau-like style and graceful voluptuousness gave him the title of the Anacreon of painting, but his repute declined until recent years. The Wallace collection, at Hertford House, has some of his finest pictures, outside the Louvre. His etchings were also numerous and masterly.
