The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy

1798
(French, 1768–1832)
Overall: 275 x 235 cm (108 1/4 x 92 1/2 in.)

Did You Know?

Urania leans on a starry orb, indicating her role as the muse of astronomy.

Description

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.
  • In 1819, Nicolas-Antoine de Castella, general of the Swiss regiments in France, purchased the paintings and placed them in his Castle of Wallenreid, Switzerland.
    direct descendants
    Pierre de Castella, Mannaz, Switzerland
    2003-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Bellenger, Sylvain, Paul J. and Edith Ingalls Vignos Jr. "Magnificent Muses", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 44 no. 01, January 2004 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 4 archive.org
  • {{cite web|title=Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy|url=false|author=Charles Meynier|year=1798|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.6.3