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Orpheus and Eurydice, ca. 1817

  • black chalk, chalk, paper
  • 135 x 195 mm
  • Inv. 1933-E-2

Public Domain

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During the French Revolution and the Empire, Jacques-Louis David put his work at the service of Maximilien de Robespierre and Napoleon respectively. His love for grandiose, reasoned and balanced compositions lends itself extremely well to propaganda purposes. But this controversial theme makes Paris a dangerous place for David after the restoration of the monarchy and forces him to move to Brussels. David's Brussels period heralds strong stylistic changes. His colouring becomes more intense and the attempt to combine the ideal with the realistic more striking. A few weeks before his death, Jacques-Louis David donated four drawings to the Société Royale des Beaux-Arts in Ghent (Museum of Fine Arts Ghent, inv. 1933-E-1 to 1933-3-4). The artist has previously exhibited twice in the Ghent City Hall, at exhibitions organised by the circle. The chalk drawings illustrate David's late style, which re-actualises Antiquity in a more realistic representation. Typical are the heavy modelling and the accent on relief and shadows.

Artist

Jacques-Louis David RKD VIAF Wikidata
Paris 1748 - Brussels 1825
draftsmen (artists)AAT

Title Orpheus and Eurydice
Date ca. 1817
Period 19th century
Location Brussels TGN
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signature and location top right: L. David. Brux.
Collection print room
Object type chalk drawings AAT
Inventory number 1933-E-2
Acquisition credit transfer
Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten
Ghent
1933
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1933-E-2
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1332/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300417629 mythologies (religious concept) AAT
Keywords Iconclass 31A255 postures and gestures of hand and fingers Iconclass
31AA2536 hand(s) towards the mouth - AA - both arms or hands Iconclass
33C23 couple of lovers Iconclass
33C234 (lovers) caressing each other Iconclass
41D211 dress, gown Iconclass
48C7 music Iconclass
48C732 string instruments (plucked) Iconclass
48C7321 lyre, cithara, psaltery Iconclass
48C75 making music; musician with instrument Iconclass
56F1 Desire; 'Desiderio' (Ripa) Iconclass
94O (story of) Orpheus Iconclass
94O2 love-affairs of Orpheus Iconclass
94O8(LYRE) attributes of Orpheus (LYRE) Iconclass
School / Style Neoclassical AAT
Notice des tableaux, miniatures, sculptures, gravures, dessins, projets d'architecture, etc., conservés au Salon de la Société Royale des Beaux-Arts et de la Littérature à Gand. - Gand : D.J. Vanderhaeghen, 1836 (p. 6, nr. 60)
Précis historique de la Société Royale des Beaux-Arts et de Littérature de Gand : 1808-1845 / Edmond De Busscher. - Gand : De Busscher Frères, 1845 (p. 114)
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Tekeningen, pastels en aquarellen; Inventaris / Moniek Nagels. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 1988 (p. 9)
Exposition : Notice des objets d'art exposés au Salon de la Société Royale des Beaux-Arts et de la Littérature à Gand, le 29 janvier 1826, et jours suivans. - Gand : s.n., 1826
Exposition : Notice des objets d'art exposés au Salon de la Société Royale des Beaux-Arts et de la Littérature à Gand, le 4 mars 1827, et jours suivans. - Gand : s.n., 1827
Aanwinsten : Barok tot classicisme (tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 09.03 - 09.04.1989). - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 1989 (s.p. (ill. 15))
onder vrienden : 225 jaar verzamelaars rond het Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 25.11.2023 - 28.04.2024) / Johan De Smet, Frederica Van Dam, Willy Van der Gucht, Manfred Sellink. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2023 ; Gent : De Vrienden van het Museum, 2023 (p. 76, cat. 86 (ill.))
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