Ariadne

Asher Brown Durand|John Vanderlyn

ca. 1831–35 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Before becoming a painter, Durand was considered the foremost engraver in the United States. His usual procedure was to first produce a copy in oil of the work to be engraved. Ariadne is one such example after a history painting by John Vanderlyn (1809–14; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia). Ariadne, a Cretan princess abandoned on the island of Naxos by her lover Theseus, is shown asleep, unaware of his departure. Durand’s copy modified Vanderlyn’s crisp Neoclassical style, infusing the figure—one of the first nudes ever exhibited in this country—with a romantic softness that emphasized its sensuality.

Artist

Asher Brown Durand|John Vanderlyn

Date

ca. 1831–35

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1897