The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 22, 2025

Reclining Nude with Cupid

1700s

Giovanni Battista Cipriani

(Italian, 1727–1785)
Italy, 18th century
red chalk heightened with white chalk on brown handmade antique laid paper
Sheet: 27.5 x 39.1 cm (10 13/16 x 15 3/8 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.257
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

A series of Giovani Battista Cipriani’s drawings were published after his death as an instructional text for students of the medium.

Description

Giovanni Battista Cipriani spent much of his career in England, where he was a founding member of the Royal Academy. There, he taught life classes and focused on the study of the human form in his own work, such as this sheet. In addition to anatomical study, Cipriani often added fantastical flourishes to his studies, such as the cherub seen here.
  • Dr. John Percy [1817-1899], London, United Kingdom
    ?-1968
    (Duits Gallery, London, United Kingdom)
    1968-2008
    Muriel Butkin [1916-2008], Shaker Heights, OH
    December 2, 2019
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Reclining Nude with Cupid|url=false|author=Giovanni Battista Cipriani|year=1700s|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.257