4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2010.

Acis and Galatea

Artist Antoine-Jean Gros (French, 1771-1835)

Date1833

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions51 x 63 1/2 in. (129.5 x 161.3 cm)
Overall, Frame: 58 x 71 1/2 in. (147.3 x 181.6 cm)

ClassificationsEuropean art

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.2080

Terms

Man
Woman
Nude
Greek mythology
Acis
Galatea
Polyphemus
Nude
Orange
Red
Green
Blue
Tan
Brown
Romantic

Collections

European Art before 1945

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting. The foreground introduces the viewer to the red draped lovers, Acis and Galatea, hiding in a grotto by the sea. Galatea holds her hands over her ears to smother the sound of the Cyclops Polyphemus announcing his love for her. Acis, the Shepherd, glances over his left shoulder as the Cyclops in the background draws nearer to their hiding place.
Label TextAntoine-Jean Gros French, 1771–1835 Acis and Galatea, 1833 Oil on canvas The lovers Acis and Galatea cower in a cave. They’re hiding from Galatea’s rejected suitor, the cyclops Polyphemus, who can be seen terrorizing the countryside with murder in his eye. While the story is drawn from ancient Roman literature, the anxious tone reflects the modern interest in the sublime—an emotional state characterized by both horror and awe. The figures’ idealized nudity and billowing garments are typical of Antoine-Jean Gros’ Neoclassical style. Yet, by the time he showed the painting in Paris, younger critics had begun to reject the style, and they condemned this work as old fashioned. Devastated, Gros fell into a depression and drowned himself in the River Seine. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2080