Perseus and the Origin of Coral

Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)

ca. 1671 · Black chalk, sepia and black ink, sepia and gray wash heightened with white · Robert Lehman Collection

The rarely depicted subject of Perseus and the Origin of Coral is derived from Ovid's Metamorphoses. This drawing is one of seven known preparatory studies for one of Claude's most important late paintings: "Coast View with Perseus and the Origin of Coral" (Coke Collection, Holkham Hall, Norfolk), four of which depict the entire composition. The painting was commissioned by his patron, Cardinal Camillo Massimi, and executed in 1674.

Artist

Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)

Date

ca. 1671

Medium

Black chalk, sepia and black ink, sepia and gray wash heightened with white

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975