Corésus et Callirrhoé, esquisse
Historical Context
Corésus and Callirrhoe, sketch (c. 1765), in the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers, is a preparatory oil sketch for Fragonard's monumental Sacrifice of Callirrhoe that won him admission to the French Academy. The sketch reveals Fragonard's working process, the looser handling and more experimental composition showing how he developed his final design. Such preparatory works are invaluable documents of artistic creation, revealing the thinking behind the finished painting.
Technical Analysis
The sketch captures the composition's essential drama in rapid, energetic strokes. The preliminary handling reveals Fragonard's compositional thinking, with figures and dramatic lighting blocked in with bold economy.
