The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
The Rape of Europa
1725–42
(French, 1691–1764)
Catalogue raisonné: Le Blanc 20
Location: not on view
Description
Whereas in the 16th and 17th centuries chiaroscuro woodcuts were the artist's original conception or copies of contemporaneous designs, in the 18th century the technique often served to replicate the most famous masterworks of the past, especially of 16th-century Italy. During the 1700s, chiaroscuro woodcuts were directly connected to famous art collections and depended on the support of wealthy patrons. Le Sueur produced numerous chiaroscuros for the Cabinet Crozat, two volumes published in 1729 and 1742 by Count Anne Claude Philippe de Caylus and Pierre Crozat. The books reproduced famous paintings and drawings in French collections. For most of Le Sueur's chiaroscuros for this project, the black lines were printed from etched metal plates prepared by others, instead of from a woodblock. However, he did cut all four blocks for The Rape of Europa himself.- Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).Leona E. Prasse, Connoisseur and Curator. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 28-August 25, 1985).Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 11-October 21, 1968).Year in Review: 1965. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27-November 14, 1965).
- {{cite web|title=The Rape of Europa|url=false|author=Nicolas LeSueur|year=1725–42|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1965.69