The Coronation Of Flora After Antoine-françois Callet (1741-1823). Our Painting Represents

The Coronation of Flora after Antoine-François Callet (1741-1823). Our painting depicts the seasonal triumph of Flora, goddess of flowers and spring, as she arrives on Earth in the beautiful season, inspired by Book IV of Ovid's Fasti. Our canvas reproduces the composition of a preparatory sketch for a painting that was never executed, as noted by Marc Sandoz. This sketch nevertheless presents profound similarities with the Allegory of Spring painted by Callet as his reception piece for the Royal Academy, entitled "Spring," which can be admired in a ceiling compartment of the Apollo Gallery. According to this theory, the triumph of Flora would thus be an initial idea for the reception piece he presented in 1781. A copy of this preparatory sketch is held in the Louvre's collections. French School, circa 1800. Oil on canvas. Dimensions: Width 100 cm, Height 72 cm