Jupiter embracing Ganymede
1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Jupiter embracing Ganymede is a 1650 by Unknown, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
Two figures float in ink: a bearded man in loose robes kisses a boy with wings. Jupiter and Ganymede, from old myths, look soft but strong. Lines are clean but uneven, like a quick sketch for a carving. This was likely a model for stonework or metalwork. It copies Poussin’s cool style but isn’t by him—just someone who knew his work. Want to see more like this? Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A drawing from around 1650 depicts two mythological figures in an embrace and kiss, possibly intended as a preparatory study for a sculpted panel or low-relief. The work, not by Nicolas Poussin himself but by a close follower, reflects characteristics of Poussin’s style and belongs to a series of 11 studies after antique models. The composition corresponds to the myth of Jupiter embracing Ganymede, with Jupiter sometimes depicted without an eagle form. The drawing is catalogued among rejected attributions to Poussin and has been associated with the style of François Verdier.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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