The chariot of Aurora, goddess of the dawn, ascends into the sky to begin a new day. Sunflowers turn toward the light, while a bat flees with the darkness. A winged boy, or putto, awakens Aurora’s brother, the sun god Helios.
The broad brushstrokes and small scale of this canvas suggest that it was made as a sketch for a larger painting. Its subject matter would have been perfectly appropriate for the ceiling of a bedroom in an opulent eighteenth-century home.
Submitted by Hardman for admission to the Royal Academy. She needed to produce an “undraped antique statue” despite the fact that women were still not allowed into “undraped” life drawing classes.
@readingancientclassics on Instagram is dedicated to discussions of ancient texts, reviews of myth retellings, and group read-alongs of classical literature. I’d love for you to join me there
Plugging my Instagram here! I’m on Instagram under @readingancientclassics, where I post discussions of both ancient literature and modern myth retellings, as well as organizing group read-alongs/online bookclubs! I would absolutely love for you to join me there - feel free to follow & share your thoughts on any of the books/topics raised in the posts!
