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Jean-Paul Milliet (1844-1918)
Jean-Paul Milliet (1844-1918)
Apollo
pencil on paper
Dimensions: Height 22,5 cm x Width17,5 cm (8.9 x 6.9 in)
A preparatory study for a painted roundel, depicting Apollo seated with a lyre framed by a floral border.
The work reflects Jean-Paul Milliet’s academic training under Charles Gleyre and his studies in Italy during the late 1860s. Rendered in graphite, the composition focuses on the seated figure's proportions and light distribution within the circular format, serving as a functional blueprint for a decorative interior project.
In Ovidian myth, the lyre serves as Apollo’s primary instrument of devotion and instruction during his tragic companionships with young men such as Hyacinthus and Cyparissus. The inclusion of the lyre identifies the figure through his classical attribute as patron of music and lyric poetry, a central motif in 19th-century decorative programs and architectural allegories.
Jean-Paul Milliet was born on March 6, 1844 in Le Mans (Pays de la Loire). He was a French historical and decorative painter, archaeologist and writer. After the coup d'état of 1851, he went into exile in Geneva with his father Félix. There he was a student of Jean-Léonard Lugardon. In 1863 Milliet returned to France. In Paris he worked for Charles Gleyre, among others. In the years 1866-69 and 1872-79 he made several study trips to Italy. Milliet decorated the ceiling in the large foyer of the Grand Théâtre in Geneva. He also created numerous decorative paintings in French official buildings such as in Paris, Reims and Rouen. Milliet died on January 8, 1918 in Paris.
€550,00
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€550,00
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