François Boucher (French, 1703–1770) was a rococo painter, known for his pastoral and mythological scenes, and was one of the most celebrated decorative artists of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher studied with painter François Le Moyne, and was influenced by his contemporary Jean Antoine Watteau.

In 1723, Boucher won the Prix de Rome, and studied in the Italian capital from 1727 to 1731. After his return to France, he created hundreds of paintings, decorative boudoir panels, tapestry designs, theater designs, and book illustrations.

He became a faculty member at the Royal Academy in 1734, director of the Royal Gobelins Manufactory in 1755, and was made first painter to the king in 1765.

Boucher is known for his idealized and lighthearted mythological paintings and pastoral subjects, which often drew inspiration from the theater, including the operas of Charles Simon Favart and Jean Monnet, for whom Boucher designed stage sets in the 1740s and 1750s. Boucher also produced religious paintings, and was a favorite of the chief mistress to Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour.

Today, his works can be found in major international collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, and the National Gallery in London.