The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 7, 2024

Hymn to Venus

Hymn to Venus

c. 1760–65
(French, 1731–1765)
France, 18th century
Pen and brown ink over red chalk (?) on antique laid paper
Sheet: 38.8 x 44.2 cm (15 1/4 x 17 3/8 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.253
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The verso of this drawing is covered in the artist’s calculations and notations, suggesting that he reused a sheet found in his studio to create it.

Description

Louis Félix de La Rue came from a family of artists and was best known for creating designs for decorative arts, such as ceramics. This sheet—which features putti and bacchantes, the artist’s preferred subjects—likely served such a purpose, given its allover composition and focus on patterning and symmetry.
  • ?-1990
    (C. and J. Goodfriend, New York, NY)
    1990-2008
    Muriel Butkin [1916-2008], Shaker Heights, OH
    December 2, 2019
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Hymn to Venus|url=false|author=Louis Felix de la Rue|year=c. 1760–65|access-date=07 October 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.253