The Timeline of Art History   The Metropolitan Museum of Art
World MapsTimelines / RegionsThematic EssaysWorks of ArtIndex  
The Birth of Venus, 1875
Alexandre Cabanel (French, 1823–1889)
Oil on canvas; 41 3/4 x 71 7/8 in. (106 x 182.6 cm)
Gift of John Wolfe, 1893 (94.24.1)

Painted in 1875 for an American collector, the banker John Wolfe, this is a slightly smaller replica of the painting Cabanel exhibited in the Salon of 1863 (Musée d'Orsay, Paris). The Birth of Venus is a celebrated example of the official taste of the Second Empire. Napoleon III bought the primary version for his personal collection.

Open full-size image


    • Related Timeline(s)



    Print
    Close
    The Birth of Venus, 1875
    Alexandre Cabanel (French, 1823–1889)
    Oil on canvas; 41 3/4 x 71 7/8 in. (106 x 182.6 cm)
    Gift of John Wolfe, 1893 (94.24.1)