The Assumption of the Virgin
ca. 1816–19
Medium
Black and white chalk on blue paper
Dimensions
18 3/8 x 11 7/8 in. (46.7 x 30.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1937
Accession Number
37.165.105
Tags
Art Historical Context
Pierre Paul Prud'hon’s *The Assumption of the Virgin (ca. 1816–19) captures the moment of Mary’s ascent into heaven, a beloved theme in Christian art. Created as a drawing rather than a finished painting, the work reveals the French artist’s sensitive approach during the transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism. Prud’hon, admired for his poetic handling of light and form, often used such studies to explore dramatic compositions destined for larger projects. The choice of black and white chalk on blue paper is especially effective here. The cool-toned sheet acts as a mid-ground, allowing t...
About the Artist
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
Pierre Paul Prud'hon (1758–1823) was a French painter and draughtsman whose dreamy, sensuous art occupied a singular position between the Neoclassicism and Romanticism that competed for dominance in French painting around 1800. Born in Cluny in Burgundy, he received his early artistic training at the Dijon Academy before winning the Prix de Rome of the Estates of Burgundy, which allowed him to spe...