The Sleep of Venus
This recently discovered drawing depicts Venus, sheltered by a draped canopy, gently slumbering on the forest floor, her head fallen to one side, her left arm cradling a dozing cupid. Winged zephyrs representing western breezes waft down to gently awaken her.
The Sleep of Venus offers tangible evidence of the unique working process of Prud’hon and Constance Mayer (1775–1821), his former student, long-time mistress, and close collaborator. Prud’hon, who was an extremely slow painter and had trouble bringing his canvases to completion, devoted much of his final decades to preparing compositions that Constance Mayer would ultimately paint and exhibit at the Salon under her own name. The Sleep of Venus was made as a model for Mayer’s painting, Venus and Cupid Asleep, Caressed and Awakened by Zephyrs that was exhibited to acclaim at the Salon of 1806, where it bore her signature. There was no acknowledgment of Prud’hon’s role in its production.
The Sleep of Venus offers tangible evidence of the unique working process of Prud’hon and Constance Mayer (1775–1821), his former student, long-time mistress, and close collaborator. Prud’hon, who was an extremely slow painter and had trouble bringing his canvases to completion, devoted much of his final decades to preparing compositions that Constance Mayer would ultimately paint and exhibit at the Salon under her own name. The Sleep of Venus was made as a model for Mayer’s painting, Venus and Cupid Asleep, Caressed and Awakened by Zephyrs that was exhibited to acclaim at the Salon of 1806, where it bore her signature. There was no acknowledgment of Prud’hon’s role in its production.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Sleep of Venus
- Artist: Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1806
- Medium: Manufactured black and white chalks on laid paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 13 3/4 × 20 1/2 in. (35 × 52 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2026
- Object Number: 2026.136
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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After Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
1811
After Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
1819
Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
1822
Attributed to Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
n.d.
After Pierre Paul Prud'hon (French, Cluny 1758–1823 Paris)
1826–27
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