Aurora and Cephalus

Aurora and Cephalus (1733), in the Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy, depicts the myth in which the goddess of dawn fell in love with the mortal hunter Cephalus, abducting him from his faithful wife Procris. Boucher treats this mythological abduction with the decorative elegance of his early mature style, the celestial and earthly realms blending in a luminous composition. The painting demonstrates the young Boucher's mastery of the mythological subjects that would define his career, combining classical learning with the sensuous visual pleasure that characterized his art.

Boucher renders the aerial mythological scene with warm, rosy flesh tones and a palette of dawn colors. The graceful composition of airborne figures and the soft, luminous handling anticipate his mature decorative masterpieces.