This lecture will help to see French art of the 17th and 18th centuries as a living and tense path from strict classicism to the sophistication of rococo and the drama of the pre-revolutionary era. The discussion of the masterpieces of the Hermitage will connect history, painting, and the perspective of an art historian, while familiar names will be revealed in a more comprehensive and clear context. French painting of the 17th and 18th centuries may seem distant and almost museum-like still at first glance. In reality, behind the change of artistic styles lies a history of tastes, ideas, and social changes that gradually led Europe to a new era. This lecture offers a look at the journey from classicism to rococo and further - to the tense art of the late 18th century through works from the Hermitage collection. Such a discussion is especially valuable as it helps not just to memorize the names of movements, but to understand how the artistic language changed and why some paintings impact with severity, others with lightness, and others with a sense of impending catastrophe. The focus will be on Nicolas Poussin, Antoine Watteau, Jacques-Louis David, and other masters. Through their works, one can trace how French art moves from clear compositional discipline and the ideal of measure to decorative sophistication, and then to a new seriousness and internal tension. For the viewer, this is particularly interesting because behind the styles, one can see not abstract terms, but different ways of looking at humanity, beauty, power, emotion, and history. The program is based on the material of the Hermitage collection. This means that the conversation will be connected to real works that can then be seen with one's own eyes. The lecture provides guidance for those who want to navigate the museum more meaningfully, better understand artistic epochs, and notice what often slips away during a cursory glance at the halls. The lecturer will be Anna Stolbova - an art historian and teacher at MHK. Therefore, one can expect a clear, structured presentation in which the historical context will be combined with attention to pictorial details.