print
- Museum number
- 1851,0208.103
- Description
-
Apelles painting Alexander and Campaspe; the lovers sitting on a couch and posing for Apelles standing in the foreground in front of his easel; within oval, in a frame decorated with satyrs and putti. c.1541/45
Etching
- Production date
- 1541-1545
- Dimensions
-
Height: 442 millimetres (trimmed)
-
Width: 297 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Duplicate to 1851,0208.102.
After the frescoes executed by Primaticcio for the room of the Duchesse d'Étampes, Fontainebleau (1541-44). Refer to W,3.16 for details of the decorative scheme. This composition is still in situ above the doors of the room, although it underwent heavy restoration by Abel de Pujol between 1834 and 1836. The preparatory drawing to Primaticcio's work is kept at Chatsworth (inv. 186). Léon Davent also etched a plate after the same composition (see entry 1851,0208.104), which is further removed than the present etching from Primaticcio's modello. See 'École de Fontainebleau', Paris 1972, cat. No.358, and 'The French Renaissance in Prints', Los Angeles 1994, cat. No.49.
The frame, especially the bottom figures, was inspired by Jean Mignon's 'Cleopatra' (see entry for 1850,0527.75). See Jenkins 2017.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1851
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1851,0208.103
