Artwork
Aurora and Cephalus
Aurora and Cephalus is an unspecified painting by the French Romanticist artist Anne-Louis Girodet. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Aurora and Cephalus is a painting depicting a scene from ancient mythology where the goddess of dawn, Aurora, abducts the shepherd Cephalus.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures the moment Aurora lifts Cephalus from his bed as she takes him to the heavens, a narrative drawn from mythological sources. The scene is isolated from the story's later tragic events.
Technique & Style
The artist employed smooth, thin brushstrokes to achieve a weightless, dreamlike quality. The use of soft, blended light contributes to the ethereal atmosphere of the scene.
Context
The painting draws on an ancient myth, focusing on an early moment in the narrative that precedes its darker conclusion.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson (French pronunciation: ; or de Roucy), also known as Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson or simply Girodet (29 January 1767 – 9 December 1824), was a French painter and pupil of Jacques-Louis…
Study for "Portrait of an Indian"
Madame Jacques-Louis-Étienne Reizet (Colette-Désirée-Thérèse Godefroy, 1782–1850)
Jean-Baptiste Belley, member of the National Convention
Aurora and Cephalus
Sketch for "The Revolt at Cairo"
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Head of a Woman in a Turban
Self-Portrait
