Study for "The Hours," Hôtel Pereire, Paris

Alexandre Cabanel

ca. 1864 · Red chalk · Drawings and Prints

This study of a nude represents an early stage in the development of a decorative panel for one of Cabanel’s major private commissions, the Grand Salon of the Pereire family in Paris. The scheme involved six allegorical panels on the theme of "The Hours." This figure likely personifies one of the Fates of Greek mythology; the spindle and thread she holds aloft symbolize the destiny of a mortal life. Related studies in the collection of the Musée Fabre in Montpellier show how the artist integrated this figure with another behind her for the final design.

Artist

Alexandre Cabanel

Date

ca. 1864

Medium

Red chalk

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of Harvey Salzman, 2022