Death of Hyacinth, c. 1752-1753
Pen and brown ink and wash on laid paperexpand_more
Bequest of Professor Alfred Moirexpand_more 2012.58.47
Not on Viewexpand_more
How much drama can a great artist pack into a tiny space' Using a brush to draw with various dilutions of ink wash, Giambattista Tiepolo turned this tiny sheet of paper into an operatic stage. This sketch provided the seed for a painting that was over nine feet tall. The dying figure is Hyacinth, a handsome prince who became the god Apollo’s lover in Greek mythology. When Apollo threw a discus, Hyacinth wanted to impress him by catching it, but the unfortunate youth was fatally struck in the head. Unable to revive Hyacinth, Apollo memorialized his lover by creating a flower, the hyacinth, from his body. Tiepolo’s painting reveals that he learned the story from a 1561 translation that substituted a tennis ball for the discus.
Details
- Title
- Death of Hyacinth
- Artist Life
- (Venice), 1696–1770
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2012.58.47
- Provenance
- 'Earl Beauchamp. Sale, Sotheby's, London, June 11, 1981, no. 144. [Colnaghi, London, until 1982; sold July 22, as Lamentation of Christ, for £1,500, to Moir]; Alfred Moir, Santa Barbara (1982-d. 2010; bequeathed to MIA)
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.