France, 19th century / 1813
Cupid and Psyche
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Cupid and Psyche as drawing (France, 19th century · 1813).
Scholars believe that this drawing was given by Jacques-Louis David to his pupil, the Comte de Forbin, to thank him for his continual devotion.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this drawing as gray wash and pen and black ink with white paint and traces of black chalk and credits Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825).
The museum's collection notes: This drawing belongs to a group of preparatory studies for Jacques-Louis David's painting Cupid and Psyche, also in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. Here, David integrated looser charcoal sketches into a finished work in which his composition was fully established. Only minor details, such as Cupid's facial expression, were ultimately changed. In layers of diluted gray wash and outlines of black ink, David evoked the precise appearance of his final canvas using monochromatic media.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtCupid and PsycheOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.