Artwork Page for Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

Details / Information for Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

1798

Charles Meynier

(French, 1768–1832)
View all records in artwork set
Culture
France, late 18th century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Overall: 275 x 235 cm (108 1/4 x 92 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2003.6.3
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
201 French Neoclassical Painting & Sculpture
Print
?

Did You Know?

Urania leans on a starry orb, indicating her role as the muse of astronomy.

Description

A recipient of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1789, Charles Meynier became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1815 and painted large ceiling decorations at the Louvre and numerous pictures glorifying the Napoleonic legend. Erato, Muse of Lyrical Poetry belongs to a cycle of five paintings executed to fulfill a commission from businessman François Boyer-Fonfréde. They were intended to decorate his home in his native Toulouse and constitute a rare instance of a complete cycle of major paintings that remain intact rather than being split up and separately dispersed.
Oil painting in muted colors depicting the god Apollo and muse Urania, both with light skin tones and wavy, blonde hair. Apollo stands center, a lyre, a hand-held harp, in the crook of his left arm while his right arm holds a laurel wreath to the side, his eyes following it. To our right, Urania leans on a starry orb floating on clouds, gazing up at Apollo. Two swans swim in water at their feet and grey clouds collect in the background.

Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

1798

Charles Meynier

(French, 1768–1832)
France, late 18th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.