Floor plan

Time and place18th-century France

18th-century France

This is a drawing of a lion in a forested rocky landscape. The lion is seen standing over a defeated animal. In the background, a forest with dense trees frames the scene. One monkey is visible among the rocks watching the lion. The setting conveys a wild, rugged terrain with rocky formations and scattered vegetation. Light and shadow emphasize textures in the lion's mane and the surrounding rocks. The composition focuses on the lion and its prey.
A work made of oil on canvas.
The Toilette of Venus, by François Boucher, 1751
A young woman draws on an oval surface with white chalk while three winged, baby-like putti gather nearby, all on a bank of pale pink clouds in this horizontal painting. The woman and putti have pale, rosy skin, flushed cheeks, and hazel-brown eyes. To our left, the woman reclines with her upper body propped up on her far elbow, which rests on a steel-blue cushion as her legs stretch out to our right. Her light brown hair is braided and wrapped across the top of her head. She wears a loose, seafoam-green robe over a billowing ivory-white garment that has slipped off the shoulder closer to us. A round paint palette with brushes sticking out of its thumb hole and a roll of blue and white paper sit in the lower left corner, behind the woman. The woman and the objects are on a red cloth. In front of the woman is a rounded surface, perhaps a canvas, on which she draws. She holds up a gold-colored stylus with her right hand, closer to us, with a pointed piece of white chalk in one end and black chalk in the other. The canvas is taller than her head, so the child-like putto she draws on it is life-sized. The three nude putti on the far side of the canvas have copper or golden-blond, curly hair, flushed, rounded cheeks, short wings in white or peacock blue, pudgy torsos, and dimpled limbs. One putto, presumably the one the woman draws, sits back on the bank of clouds with a carnation-pink sash across his chest. He pulls his chin back and looks at her from under his eyebrows. He holds a gold-colored torch with a pink flame in one hand, and the other hand rests near a cylindrical quiver of arrows. Another putto peeks around the side of the canvas, and the third stands and props the canvas up. That third putto holds up a wreath of laurel leaves up over the canvas, above the woman’s drawing hand. The bank of clouds is parchment-brown with muted pink and blue highlights against a vivid blue sky. The artist signed and dated the lower right, “F Boucher – 1765.”
A work made of graphite and pen and black ink, with touches of opaque, white watercolor on cream laid paper.
This is a painting of animals in front of a ruined structure. The painting features a cat, a weasel, and a small rabbit gathered on a patch of grass. The cat has its paw over the rabbit, with the weasel observing. They are in front of an ancient stone structure surrounded by vegetation. In the background are trees against a sky. The foreground has detailed foliage and flowers.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in France in the 18th century.

Section 1, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a lion in a forested rocky landscape. The lion is seen standing over a defeated animal. In the background, a forest with dense trees frames the scene. One monkey is visible among the rocks watching the lion. The setting conveys a wild, rugged terrain with rocky formations and scattered vegetation. Light and shadow emphasize textures in the lion's mane and the surrounding rocks. The composition focuses on the lion and its prey.
    Le lion (The Lion)A.-J. de Fehrt, published 1759Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Alexander at the Tomb of Cyrus the GreatPierre Henri de Valenciennes, 1796Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. The Toilette of Venus, by François Boucher, 1751
    The Toilette of VenusFrançois Boucher, 1751Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 1, south wall

  1. A young woman draws on an oval surface with white chalk while three winged, baby-like putti gather nearby, all on a bank of pale pink clouds in this horizontal painting. The woman and putti have pale, rosy skin, flushed cheeks, and hazel-brown eyes. To our left, the woman reclines with her upper body propped up on her far elbow, which rests on a steel-blue cushion as her legs stretch out to our right. Her light brown hair is braided and wrapped across the top of her head. She wears a loose, seafoam-green robe over a billowing ivory-white garment that has slipped off the shoulder closer to us. A round paint palette with brushes sticking out of its thumb hole and a roll of blue and white paper sit in the lower left corner, behind the woman. The woman and the objects are on a red cloth. In front of the woman is a rounded surface, perhaps a canvas, on which she draws. She holds up a gold-colored stylus with her right hand, closer to us, with a pointed piece of white chalk in one end and black chalk in the other. The canvas is taller than her head, so the child-like putto she draws on it is life-sized. The three nude putti on the far side of the canvas have copper or golden-blond, curly hair, flushed, rounded cheeks, short wings in white or peacock blue, pudgy torsos, and dimpled limbs. One putto, presumably the one the woman draws, sits back on the bank of clouds with a carnation-pink sash across his chest. He pulls his chin back and looks at her from under his eyebrows. He holds a gold-colored torch with a pink flame in one hand, and the other hand rests near a cylindrical quiver of arrows. Another putto peeks around the side of the canvas, and the third stands and props the canvas up. That third putto holds up a wreath of laurel leaves up over the canvas, above the woman’s drawing hand. The bank of clouds is parchment-brown with muted pink and blue highlights against a vivid blue sky. The artist signed and dated the lower right, “F Boucher – 1765.”
    Allegory of PaintingFrançois Boucher, 1765Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of graphite and pen and black ink, with touches of opaque, white watercolor on cream laid paper.
    Farmer Requesting Permission to Marry a Nobleman's DaughterGabriel de Saint-Aubin, 1761Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. This is a painting of animals in front of a ruined structure. The painting features a cat, a weasel, and a small rabbit gathered on a patch of grass. The cat has its paw over the rabbit, with the weasel observing. They are in front of an ancient stone structure surrounded by vegetation. In the background are trees against a sky. The foreground has detailed foliage and flowers.
    Le chat, la balette et le petit lapin (The Cat, the Weasel, and the Rabbit)Martin Marvie, published 1756Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, south wall

  1. Overdoor Painting, by Pierre Rousseau, 1790s
    Overdoor PaintingPierre Rousseau, 1790sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. A sliver of land across the bottom of this composition gives way to a procession of puffy gray and white clouds sweeping up across a vivid blue, panoramic sky in this horizontal landscape painting. An area of darker gray beyond the brown land could be a valley, mountain, or shadows from the billowing clouds. About one-fifth of the way up the composition, the horizon glows the faintest peach. The clouds trundle from our left up and to our right. The view is loosely painted, especially in the land.
    Study of Clouds over the Roman CampagnaPierre Henri de Valenciennes, c. 1782/1785Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Soap Bubbles, by Jean Siméon Chardin, ca. 1733–34
    Soap BubblesJean Siméon Chardin, ca. 1733–34Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. A work made of handcolored etching in black on cream laid paper.
    The Grotto of Posillipo (La Grotta di Posillipo)Louis Jean Desprez, 1785/90Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 2, north wall

  1. FIGURES FROM SISTINE CHAPEL CEILING
    Figures from Sistine Chapel ceilingJean-Robert Ango, ca. 1759–70Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  2. The image shows an illustration of a rocky terrain with towering stone formations and dense foliage. The sky is textured and the scene is created using an etching technique with intricate linework. There are two figures in the scene, one appearing to climb or position near a rock, while the other observes. The color palette is monochromatic, using black on a white background to depict depth and dimension in the artwork.
    Landscape with a Fallen Tree (Paysage à l'arbre cassé)Hubert Robert, 1764Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The engraving depicts a gathering around a woman holding a child in her arms in an indoor setting with stone columns and an arched background. Another woman is next to her, looking towards her while leaning over what appears to be a child or possibly a doll on a small donkey. Surrounding the central woman are several children, some seated and playing on the floor. A dog is resting at the central woman's feet. The image features lush drapery, creating a warm and intimate setting. The style suggests classical or historical fashion, and there is an ornate border with ivy leaves. The text and emblem below likely contain relevant inscriptions.
    L'heureuse féconditéNicolas Delaunay, 1777Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Mount Athos Carved as a Monument to Alexander the GreatPierre Henri de Valenciennes, 1796Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, north wall

  1. This painting depicts a classical architectural scene with a bird and multiple individuals. It is done in the style of Jean-Baptiste Oudry. The image includes a large building with stone columns and stairs. A parrot is perched on a tree, catching attention with its colorful feathers. In the foreground, a person in classical clothing appears to be in motion. In the background, a group of people are gathered with varied expressions and gestures directed towards the person in the foreground. The architectural elements and foliage add depth and context to the scene.
    Les deux perroquets, le roi et son fils (Two Parrots, the King, and His Son)Antoine Radigues, published 1759Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A pale-skinned man sits facing our left as he plays a harp while turning his face to smile at us in this vertical portrait painting. He looks out the corners of his light blue eyes under arched, gray brows. He has a rounded nose, pale pink lips, and a round face. Gray hair is brushed back from his high forehead and curls around his ears. His long fingers rest on the strings of the harp, and the ends of strings curl like wind-loosened strands of hair along the top edge. The man wears a pale mauve-purple cravat, and his snow-white, long-sleeved chemise is untucked and loose around his thighs. The cuff we see is open and folded back over a bright white shirt edged with lace. His dusky rose-pink breeches are unbuttoned at the knee over white stockings. The square-seated chair on which he sits is carved with garlands and floral patterns, which are gilded gold. The seat itself is topaz blue, and it has a low back. A similarly ornamented and gilded table along the back of the room holds a portfolio and roll of papers, the tooled and gilded spines of books, and a statuette to the right. The pale pinkish-orange statuette shows a woman holding a tablet and wearing a long, loose robe and head covering. Her body angles to our left and she looks off in that direction. The wall behind the table is mottled with smoky shades of gray and tan.
    Ange Laurent de La Live de JullyJean Baptiste Greuze, probably 1759Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington