France, late 18th century / 1798
Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy as painting (France, late 18th century · 1798).
Urania leans on a starry orb, indicating her role as the muse of astronomy.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Charles Meynier (French, 1768–1832).
The museum's collection notes: A recipient of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1789, Charles Meynier became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1815 and painted large ceiling decorations at the Louvre and numerous pictures glorifying the Napoleonic legend. Erato, Muse of Lyrical Poetry belongs to a cycle of five paintings executed to fulfill a commission from businessman François Boyer-Fonfréde. They were intended to decorate his home in his native Toulouse and constitute a rare instance of a complete cycle of major paintings that remain intact rather than being split up and separately dispersed.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtApollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry, and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of AstronomyOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.