Orpheus and Eurydice

1802

Gaetano Gandolfi

Associated Names
Gaetano Gandolfi

Artist, Bolognese, 1734 - 1802

The image depicts two individuals from head to toe. The figure on the left is in a defensive or startled position, leaning backward with one arm raised to touch their head. The second figure, slightly behind the first, is in motion, with one arm cradling the first figure's chest and their head turned upward. Both individuals have detailed facial features and wavy hair. They are wearing flowing garments, with one figure's garment slipping from their shoulder. A chunky, curved instrument is on the ground. The background shows rocky and cave-like formations, enhancing the interaction between the figures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black and white chalk on tan laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of David E. Rust

  • Dimensions

    overall: 44.5 x 31.8 cm (17 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.138.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Giovanni Ceschi, Bologna. (David Carritt, London); David Rust, Washington, D.C., 1960; gift to NGA, 2006.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1982

  • Bolognese Drawings in North American Collections, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1982, no. 114.

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 63.

Bibliography

1936

  • Bianchi, Lidia. I Gandolfi. Rome, 1936: no. 84.

1979

  • Pertini, Sandro, and Mimi Cazort. L'Arte del Settecento emiliano: La pittura, L'Accademi Clementina. Bologna, 1979: 135, under no. 285.

2012

  • Christie's New York, Old Master Paintings, Part I. 25 January 2012, 108, fig. 1 (under lot 35).

Inscriptions

verso in black chalk: G Gandolfi 1802

Wikidata ID

Q64571003

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