#french draftsmen
Cupid and Psyche
Jacques-Louis David (French; 1748–1825)
1813
Gray wash and pen and black ink with white paint and traces of black chalk
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
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The Mourning of Pallas
Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson (French; 1767–1824)
ca. 1790–93
Pen and brown ink, brush, and gray and brown wash, heightened with white
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Design for an illustration in Pierre Didot the Elder’s 1798 edition of the works of Virgil
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Man Stepping to the Right
Jacques-Louis David (French; 1748–1825), attributed to
ca. 1770s
Black chalk with white highlights
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey
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The Muse Erato Writing Verses Inspired by Love
Charles Meynier (French; 1768–1832)
ca. 1797
Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, heightened with white gouache over black chalk underdrawing; squared in black chalk
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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Le palais d'Alcine = The Palace of Alcina
Israël Silvestre (French; 1621–1691)
ca. 1673–79
Etching
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Caption: Troisiesme Journée
Caption subtitle: Theatre dressé au milieu du grand Estang representant l'Isle d'Alcine, ou paroissoit son Palais enchanté sortant d'un petit Rocher dans lequel fut dancé un Ballet de plusieurs entrées, et apres quoy ce Palais fut consumé par un feu d'artifice representant la rupture de l'enchantement apres la fuite de Roger.
Scene from a ballet presented at Versailles in May 1664. On a pond before her palace, the enchantress Alcina rides on a sea-monster, flanked by two nymphs on dolphins.
Les plaisirs de l'isle enchantée was a seven-day series of entertainments held at Versailles, beginning on May 7, 1664. Given in honor of the queen mother, Anne of Austria, and Queen Marie Thérèse, it provided a pretext to display the power and wealth of the court of Louis XIV. This print depicts a scene from the ballet Le palais d'Alcine, arranged by the Duc de Saint-Aignan to music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, with scenic design by Carlo Vigarani. Presented on the third day of entertainments, the ballet was based on a subplot from Ariosto’s epic poem Orlando furioso, in which Ruggiero (Roger of the print’s caption) attempts to escape the toils of the enchantress Alcina. As the caption reveals, the ballet closes with the destruction of Alcina’s palace amid a display of fireworks.
Probably a plate from Les plaisirs de l'isle enchantée, ou, Les festes et divertissements du Roy à Versailles (Paris: L'Imprimerie royale, 1673–79).
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