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The pastoral Romance 'Daphnis and Chloe' by the late Greek writer Longus (AD third or fourth century) tells of the love of two foundlings from noble families. One of the main incidents in their story, illustrated here, depicts the moment when Daphnis, alone with the sleeping Chloe, notices his former playmate’s beauty and first feels adult passion for her (I, 25). The artist conveys the couple’s youth in their pale slim bodies, and the wonder and longing of the protagonist by the use of restrained but dramatic gesture. A lyrical quality is imparted by the idyllic landscape setting. The picture was previously attributed to Giovanni Battista Bertucci, although he is known only as a painter of religious subjects.

The Wallace Collection

London

Title

An Idyll: Daphnis and Chloe

Date

c.1500–1501

Medium

oil on poplar panel

Measurements

H 85.9 x W 62.2 cm

Accession number

P2

Acquisition method

acquired by Sir Richard Wallace, 1872; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Work type

Painting

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The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England

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