The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued commemorative coinage under the "Banque Centrale du Congo" name since the country's 2003 transitional government, producing a steady stream of silver-plated copper pieces aimed squarely at the thematic collector market rather than domestic circulation. This series reproducing famous paintings is typical of that output — licensed imagery pressed onto base metal at a price point that undercuts genuine silver issues.
Fragonard's original canvas was commissioned in 1767 by a French courtier, reportedly Baron de Saint-Julien, who wanted himself depicted in a specific voyeuristic arrangement relative to a young woman on a swing. The painting now hangs in the Wallace Collection, London.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued commemorative coinage under the "Banque Centrale du Congo" name since the country's 2003 transitional government, producing a steady stream of silver-plated copper pieces aimed squarely at the thematic collector market rather than domestic circulation. This series reproducing famous paintings is typical of that output — licensed imagery pressed onto base metal at a price point that undercuts genuine silver issues.
Fragonard's original canvas was commissioned in 1767 by a French courtier, reportedly Baron de Saint-Julien, who wanted himself depicted in a specific voyeuristic arrangement relative to a young woman on a swing. The painting now hangs in the Wallace Collection, London.