The Awakening of Venus
1769
pastel
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Louis-Marin Bonnet
Louis-Marin Bonnet (1736–1793) was a French artist, born in Paris.
See the richer artist page1769
pastel
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Awakening of Venus is a 1769 pastel by Louis-Marin Bonnet, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
A woman with soft, pale skin lies on a rocky shore, her body half-covered by a draped cloth. Her hair is swept up in loose curls, and she holds a flower garland in one hand while a small bird perches nearby. The background is a faint, misty blue, blending into the sky. This image is a printed pastel—soft colors layered on blue paper—giving it a dreamy, almost translucent look. The artist used delicate strokes to suggest movement in the cloth and waves. Look up pastel to see how this technique works.
Louis-Marin Bonnet (1736–1793) was a French artist, born in Paris.
See the richer artist page
