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National Gallery of Art

  • Visit

    • Plan Your Visit
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Food and Drink
    • Tours and Guides
    • Explore the Campus

    Admission is always free

    6th and Constitution Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20565

    East building

    Must-Sees at the National Gallery

    Make the most of your visit

    Learn more

  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Calendar
    • Kid-Friendly Events

    America’s 250th

    Celebrating American art and artists

  • Art & Artists

    • Artworks
    • Artists
    • Stories
    • Fun and Games
    • Educational Resources
    • Research

    Open Call

    Artists Reimagining the Collection

    Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Utility

  • Support
  • Shop
  • Become a Member

  • Visit

    • Plan Your Visit
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Food and Drink
    • Tours and Guides
    • Explore the Campus

    Admission is always free

    6th and Constitution Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20565

    East building

    Must-Sees at the National Gallery

    Make the most of your visit

    Learn more

  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Calendar
    • Kid-Friendly Events

    America’s 250th

    Celebrating American art and artists

  • Art & Artists

    • Artworks
    • Artists
    • Stories
    • Fun and Games
    • Educational Resources
    • Research

    Open Call

    Artists Reimagining the Collection

    Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Utility

  • Support
  • Shop
  • Become a Member

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    3. Jean-Baptiste Tuby I

    Jean-Baptiste Tuby I

    Tubi I, Jean-Baptiste

    French, 1635 - 1700

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    Artwork

    Two chubby, winged children hold onto a swan with its wings thrust back, beak open, and long neck curving up in this freestanding sculpture, which was originally a fountain cast in iron. The cherubs and swan are on a bunched-up cloth on a disk fluted like a seashell. In this photograph, the swan’s body is angled to our right. One cherub stands behind the swan to our left, and the other lies on his back with one hand and foot lifted, facing the swan. Both cherubs have caps of curly hair and short wings. Each has a strap across their chest, and a quiver with arrows lies next to the prone cherub. The sculpture rests on a pale peach-colored stone pedestal carved with a band of layered leaves around the middle. The base stands in a shallow basin of water. The fountain is photographed in a bright space with white marble columns and floors.
    Jean-Baptiste Tuby I, Cherubs Playing with a Swan, 1672-1673, lead with traces of gilding, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1940.1.15

    Cherubs Playing with a Swan

    Cherubs Playing with a Swan

    Jean-Baptiste Tuby I · 1672-1673 · lead with traces of gilding ·  Accession ID  1940.1.15

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