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Orpheus and Eurydice (recto)
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Orpheus and Eurydice (recto)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806), artist · c. 1761 · black chalk

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Quick drawings could serve a variety of purposes, and it is not always clear today why an artist created a particular sketch. This one may record a painting Fragonard saw during a journey to Italy, or capture an idea he was considering for a painting of his own. Orpheus, identified by the lute, grasps for his love Eurydice as she is pulled down into Hades. The snarling animals near his feet may represent Cerberus, the multiheaded guard dog of the underworld.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineOrpheus and Eurydice (recto) , c. 1761. Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Black chalk; sheet: 28.9 x 22.7 cm (11 3/8 x 8 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Joseph F. McCrindle, 2009.152.a
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