The Three Graces
by REGNAULT, Jean-Baptiste, Oil on canvas, 204 x 153 cm
The representation of the Three Graces attests to the painter’s fondness for mythological themes and for adolescent female nudes. In this piece he copied a carved antique sculpture (Siena Cathedral) that had previously inspired one of Raphael’s works, and enabled Regnault to pay homage to female beauty from several angles, in a subtle blend of idealisation and realism.