Auguste Boucher-Desnoyers, Love and Psyche and J. B. R. U. Massard Venus De Médici, 1800s, Etching

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Pair of classicist engravings: auguste boucher-desnoyers “cupid and psyche” and j. B. R. U. Massard “venus de medici,” neoclassical, 19th … Read more Pair of classicist engravings: auguste boucher-desnoyers “cupid and psyche” and j. B. R. U. Massard “venus de medici,” neoclassical, 19th century – france

a pair of classicist engravings on mythological themes, based on early 19th-century compositions and printed in france. They depict two sculptures linked to classical tradition: cupid and psyche and the venus de medici. Both prints reproduce the figures through lines and shading that define the anatomical volumes, contours, and details of the compositions. They are presented framed with gilt moldings and passe-partouts.

the print of cupid and psyche represents the god eros and psyche, the personification of the soul, as two nude, intertwined figures, their bodies inclined toward each other and their heads close together. The composition is structured around the contact between the two figures and the balance of their poses. The drawing is attributed to jean-auguste-dominique ingres (1780-1867), while the inscription below identifies auguste-gaspard-louis boucher-desnoyers (1779-1857) as the engraver and records the date 1811: “aug. Le boucher-desnoyers sculpt. Anno 1811.” the ancient sculptural group known as cupid and psyche, reproduced in the print, is currently housed in the capitoline museums in rome, in the palazzo nuovo. The sculpture was moved to paris in 1797 and returned to rome in 1816.

the print of the medici venus reproduces the ancient sculpture representing venus, the roman goddess of love and beauty. The figure appears nude and upright, with her weight resting primarily on one leg and the other slightly bent. She crosses her arms over her chest and pubis in a gesture of modesty, while turning her head to one side. At her feet appears a small dolphin, an attribute associated with the goddess and her birth from the sea. The inscription "drawn by bouillon. Engraved by j. B. R. U. Massard" identifies bouillon as the artist and jean-baptiste-raphaël-urbain massard (1775-1843) as the engraver. The original sculpture is currently housed in the uffizi gallery in florence, in the tribune. It was discovered in rome during the 16th century, acquired by ferdinando de' medici, and brought to florence in 1677.

both prints bear the inscription "musée du louvre," linking them to the graphic dissemination of the museum's collections. This reference should be understood within the context of illustrated publications that reproduced works of art to facilitate their understanding and study, and not as an indication of where the engravings were made.

both sheets also bear the inscription "félix hermet imprimeur," identifying the printer of these copies. Hermet published the illustrated work *le musée du louvre* in paris, a collection of engraved reproductions of paintings and sculptures housed in the museum, distributed in installments during the second half of the 19th century. The presence of his name allows us to link these copies to this later publishing venture, even though the original compositions predate it.

it is important to distinguish this publication from *le musée français, recueil complet des tableaux, statues et bas-reliefs qui composent la collection nationale*, an illustrated work published by robillard-péronville and pierre-françois laurent at the beginning of the 19th century. The bibliothèque nationale de france holds bibliographic records of this publication and catalogs a version of the venus de' medici, drawn by bouillon and engraved by massard, as plate 30 of the first volume, published between 1803 and 1809. This reference documents the early dissemination of the composition, but does not prove that the copies preserved here come from that first edition: the inscription by félix hermet points to a later printing.

both prints belong to the neoclassical tradition, characterized by the revival of greco-roman models, anatomical proportion, compositional balance, and the precise definition of volumes. The graphic reproduction of ancient sculptures allowed these models to spread among artists, collectors, and scholars, beyond the confines of museum collections.

category: graphic art

technique: engraving on paper

title: “l’amour et psyché”, “venus de’ medici”

engraver: auguste boucher-desnoyers, j. B. R. U. Massard

style: neoclassicism

country of origin: france

period: 19th century

overall dimensions: 72 x 59 x 1.5 cm

dimensions without frame: 40.5 x 29 cm

condition: generally, good condition considering its age and use See less