Bust of Minerva

ca. 1798

Not on view

This study of a bust of Minerva set into a niche is related to Reunion of Artists, Boilly’s famous group portrait of contemporary artists, sculptors, and architects gathered in the studio of Jean-Baptiste Isabey (French, 1767–1855). The bust was part of a stylish up-to-the-minute décor designed by Charles Percier (French, 1764–1838) and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine (French, 1762–1853), the leading architects of the period. Indeed, Jean-Baptiste Isabey’s studio was featured in no fewer than five plates from their influential publication Recueil de décorations intérieures (1812) and embodied an up-to-the-moment style that was integral to the painting’s articulation of the artist’s place in society. In the finished work, Percier and Fontaine stand together, admiring a drawing just below the oversize statue.

Artwork Details

Title: Bust of Minerva
Artist: Louis Léopold Boilly (French, La Bassée 1761–1845 Paris)
Date: ca. 1798
Medium: Conté crayon, stumping, heightened with white chalk on faded blue paper
Dimensions: sheet: 11 1/2 x 8 7/16 in. (29.2 x 21.5 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Louis de Bayser, 2009
Object Number: 2009.477
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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The Public Viewing David's "Coronation" at the Louvre, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Oil on canvas — The Public Viewing David's "Coronation" at the Louvre
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