An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Invocation to Lovec. 1781
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Fragonard used gardens as the setting for love and courtship in some of his most important works. One such scene, this drawing depicts a woman pleading for help from a statue of Eros, the god of love. He wears a blindfold, suggesting an uncertain outcome for the woman, as does a Cupid who indifferently leans on an orb nearby. Like other artists in 18th-century France, Fragonard was deeply influenced by historic imagery of the Garden of Love—a pastoral and idyllic contained landscape. He revisited the specific image seen here multiple times, in two oil paintings (Musée du Louvre and private collection, New York) and another drawing (Princeton University Art Museum).
This drawing contains squaring—a grid underlying the image—suggesting it's a smaller drawn replica of a related oil painting.
Brush and brown wash with graphite squaring lines and underdrawing on cream laid paper
Sheet: 33.5 x 41.6 cm (13 3/16 x 16 3/8 in.); Secondary Support: 37.6 x 47.8 cm (14 13/16 x 18 13/16 in.)
Grace Rainey Rogers Fund
In the serene embrace of lush gardens, where the whispers of nature mingle with the sighs of lovers, the artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard found his canvas. These gardens, painted not just with shades of green but rich with emotions, served as a stage for romance and courtship. One particular drawing grips our attention—a solitary woman stands, her figure tender yet desperate, as she beseeches a statue of Eros, the timeless god of love.
Eros, draped in an aura of mystery, wears a blindfold, a symbol of the uncertain paths of the heart. His visage suggests that love, at times, is shrouded in the unknown. Nearby, Cupid, indifferent and languid, leans casually against an orb, embodying the playful yet unpredictable nature of affection. One can almost hear the rustling leaves and the hushed pleas of the woman as she seeks solace, perhaps searching for hope in the enigmatic heart of love.
Fragonard’s works breathe life into 18th-century France, a time when artists drew inspiration from the historical visions of the Garden of Love—a place that promised both tranquility and desire. This imagery beckoned them to escape into a pastoral paradise, where beauty unfolded amidst the delicate dance of courtship.
What’s fascinating is that this scene wasn't just a fleeting thought for Fragonard. He felt compelled to revisit this poignant moment in his creative journey. It reappeared not once, but multiple times; captured in two famed oil paintings held in the prestigious hallowed halls of the Musée du Louvre and a private collection in New York. Yet, it was also immortalized in another drawing, safeguarded in the Princeton University Art Museum. Each rendition perhaps whispers a different story, a fresh perspective on the eternal quest for love, beckoning us to reflect, to yearn, and to dream.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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