Venus and the Sphinx
Like much of the sculpture of the Romantic movement in French art, Préault's work was rejected from the Paris Salons throughout the 1830s and 1840s. Official recognition came after the Revolution of 1848. This plaster group is the working model for the commission of 1867 for the imperial palace at Fontainbleau.
Artwork Details
- Title: Venus and the Sphinx
- Artist: Auguste Préault (French, Paris 1809–1879 Paris)
- Date: 1868
- Culture: French, Paris
- Medium: Tinted plaster
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 42 1/2 × 45 × 23 3/4 in. (108 × 114.3 × 60.3 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Purchase, Lita Annenberg Hazen Charitable Trust Gift, in honor of Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg, 1981
- Object Number: 1981.319.1
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.