Apollo and Hyacinthus
Ca. 1812. Black ink, Pencil, Coloured wash, Pencil, Pencil ground on laid paper.Not on display
José de Madrazo depicts Apollo supporting up the inert body of Hyacinthus, while the guilty Zephyrus flees the scene and a satyr alerts the river-god Eurotas. This drawing, with its sharp outlines and partial colouring, was inspired by classical sources, and perhaps by the paintings of Jean Broc and Merry-Joseph Blondel; it captures the cruel outcome of the mythological love triangle, reflecting the Neoclassical sensibilities that marked Madrazo’s oeuvre.
