Three Sleeping Sprites with a Satyr

1769

Salomon Gessner

Associated Names
Salomon Gessner

Artist, Swiss, 1730 - 1788

The image depicts mythical creatures in a natural setting. A creature with horns rests on a grassy knoll beneath a tree, observing a group in the nearby water. In a grotto or cave-like area, three figures appear, partially submerged in water. The scene is densely etched, capturing textures of trees, grass, and flowing water. The creatures, with humanoid features, add a mythical ambiance to the scene. The drawing utilizes light and shadow to create depth and mood.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 11.6 x 14.4 cm (4 9/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 27.8 x 38.4 cm (10 15/16 x 15 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1999.100.6

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Leemann-Van Elck 1930, no. 24

  • Series Title

    Idyllic Landscapes with Mythological Figures, plate 2

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Christopher Mendez, London); purchased 1999 by NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1930

  • Leemann-Van Elck, Paul. Salomon Gessner: Dichter, Maler und Radierer, 1730-1788. Zurich, 1930.

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: S. Gessner inv. et f. 1769.; lower right in plate: 2.; by later hand, upper right in graphite: (27/10p)

Wikidata ID

Q75430119

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