France, 19th century / c.1810
Aurora and Cephalus
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Aurora and Cephalus as painting (France, 19th century · c.1810).
This myth subverts typical gender dynamics: usually a man captures a woman, but in this story the trope reversed.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson (French, 1767–1824).
The museum's collection notes: The goddess of the dawn, Aurora, fell in love with the shepherd Cephalus. She eventually seized him at daybreak, bringing him to the heavens while he slept—the scene Girodet has painted here. Later, missing his wife, Procris, Cephalus begs to return. Aurora agrees, giving him a magic spear that kills every target, including his wife, when he mistakes her for an animal in the brush.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtAurora and CephalusOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.