Apollo and the Muses

Giuseppe Valeriani

Associated Names
Giuseppe Valeriani

Artist, Italian, c. 1708 - 1761

This drawing depicts mythological figures within clouds. The scene shows ethereal figures with wings and flowing drapery interacting in the clouds. The central figure emits light, surrounded by other figures in admiration or worship. Cherub-like figures are present, some holding objects or instruments, while others gesture around the central figure. Cloud formations below feature dynamic figures in dramatic poses, enhancing the celestial ambiance. The drawing uses monochromatic tones and intricate linework for a classical and harmonious quality.

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Member of the Russian imperial family; Maxmilien Eugène Joseph Napolèon de Beauharnais, 3rd duc de Leuchtenberg; Edmond Fatio, Geneva (sale Geneva, P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., Ltd., 1959); Seiferheld and Co., New York; William B. O'Neal [1907-1994], Charlottesville, VA, January 1961; gift to NGA, 1991.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1912

  • Lomonosoff et l'epoque d'Elizabeth, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1912.

1961

  • Drawings from the Collection of William B. O'Neal, University of Virgina Museum of Fine Arts, Charlottesville, March 5-25, 1961.

1973

  • Master Drawings from the Collection of William B. O'Neal, Walter Cecil Rawls Museum, Courtland, VA and tour, 1973-1975.

Bibliography

1975

  • "Drawings for the Theater and Architecture: A Special View of a Notable Virginia Collection," Arts in Virginia, 15 (Spring 1975), 2.

1993

  • National Gallery of Art. Drawings from the O'Neal Collection. Exh. cat. Washington, 1993, checklist p. 95.

Wikidata ID

Q64572504

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