Leda and the Swan, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse | Mia

Leda and the Swan, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse — Leda and the Swan, c. 1858
Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
Terra cotta
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton 92.85.5
Not on View
Based upon a chalk drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475-1564), this terra cotta sculpture depicts Leda, the ancient Queen of Sparta, being seduced by the Greek god Zeus in the guise of a swan. Dating back to Greek mythology, Leda and the Swan offered artists an acceptable motif for erotic depiction. The French sculptor Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse chose this mythological subject to embody the sensuality of the reclining female form and evoke the artistic traditions of the great Renaissance masters.

file_download

Explore

Audio

Carrier-Belleuse, Leda and the Swan (#842)

Details

Title: Leda and the Swan
Dated: c. 1858
Artist: Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
Nationality: French
Artist Life: 1824–1887
Role: Artist
Gallery: Not on View
Department: Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture
Dimension: 16 1/2 x 21 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. (41.9 x 54.6 x 21.6 cm)
Credit: Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton
Accession Number: 92.85.5
Medium: Terra cotta
Country: France
Century: 19th century
Rights: Public Domain
Classification: Sculpture
Wikipedia: Cite this information
Metadata: Click here to see the machine readable JSON data that underpins this page.
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.