Cleveland Museum of Art

The Triumph of Neptune

Charles Joseph Natoire

Date

1766 or later

Medium

Watercolor and black chalk on two sheets of cream laid paper

Culture

France, 18th century

Department

Drawings

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Natoire produced this drawing based on a fresco by Guillaume Courtois, known as Il Borgognone (1628–1679), that decorates a vaulted ceiling in the Palazzo Dorio-Pamphili in Valmontone. Carrying his trident, Neptune skims the ocean waves in a chariot attended by the gods Nereus and Oceanus, his son, Triton, and a dolphin. Able to raise tempests and calm the sea, Neptune gestures toward darkened clouds where two blowing faces personify the winds. Natoire’s fluid brushstrokes and vibrant use of color exemplify the characteristic sensuality of his watercolors.

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