Venus and Cupid I
Artist
Carle van Loo
(French, 1705-1765)
Date18th century
CultureFrench
MediumPen and black ink over traces of graphite
ClassificationDrawings
Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1971
Object numberSN900
The Rococo was style of art and decoration that emerged in France around 1700 and was characterized by lightness, grace, and playfulness. Intended for entertainment and pleasure, drawings of this period are most noted for their spontaneity, sensuality, and are frequently occupied by female nudes.
The women in these two works by French artist, Carle Vanloo, were most likely not drawn from life, but from memory. Though it is not difficult to imagine the postures of these women in a studio setting, the anatomical accuracy of the reclined woman's breast (SN900) is questionable and the proportions of the seated woman's legs and delineation of her right foot (SN901) are extremely awkward. Regardless, the sheets are delicate and intimate, and were executed with remarkable evenness of line and contour. Abbreviated hatching suggests the mass and weight of the figures, while more intense hatching delineates background and setting, both of which are characteristic of Vanloo's draftsmanship.
On View
Not on viewFRAMED: 15 1/8 x 19 1/8 in. (38.4 x 48.6 cm)
18th century
circa 1840
