Neptune
1729â37
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-420-8
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Claude Gillot (1673–1722), a pioneering French artist and engraver, created works that bridged the late Baroque and emerging Rococo styles, influencing masters like Antoine Watteau. *Neptune*, dated 1729–37—after Gillot's death—likely a posthumous print derived from his designs or studio output, a common practice for disseminating popular motifs during the era. As a mythological depiction of the sea god Neptune, it embodies the period's fascination with classical antiquity, evoking power, fluidity, and grandeur through Gillot's dynamic compositions. Classified as a print in the Smithsonian Am...