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Cupid and Psyche
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This drawing belongs to a group of preparatory studies for Jacques-Louis David's painting <em>Cupid and Psyche, </em>also in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. Here, David integrated looser charcoal sketches into a finished work in which his composition was fully established. Only minor details, such as Cupid's facial expression, were ultimately changed. In layers of diluted gray wash and outlines of black ink, David evoked the precise appearance of his final canvas using monochromatic media.
| Artist / Maker | Jacques-Louis David |
|---|---|
| Date | 1813 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | gray wash and pen and black ink with white paint and traces of black chalk |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 16.7 x 22.4 cm (6 9/16 x 8 13/16 in.) |
| Department | Drawings |
| Type | Drawing |
About the Artist
The founder and leading painter of the neoclassical movement in France, Jacques-Louis David was born in Paris to a prosperous family of artists and archi-tects. In 1766 he entered the Académie Royale as the pupil of Joseph-Marie Vien (1716-1809). After several failed attempts, David won the Prix de Rome in 1774. The following year he left for Italy, where he studied antique art and envisioned replacing the frivolity of the rococo with an art of grandeur, simplicity, and moral virtue.… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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