The Sacrifice to Ceres by Louis Simon Boizot

The Sacrifice to Ceres 1766

louissimonboizot

toned paper

stone

sculpture

charcoal drawing

sculptural image

unrealistic statue

underpainting

charcoal

watercolor

statue

This terracotta relief, “The Sacrifice to Ceres” (1766), by Louis Simon Boizot, depicts a young woman offering a basket of fruit to the Roman goddess of agriculture. The scene is framed by a decorative, gilded, oval frame featuring an intricate pattern of wheat stalks, subtly referencing the themes of agriculture and fertility. Boizot's neoclassical style is apparent in the figures' idealized proportions and drapery. The artwork was likely intended to adorn a private home, as a testament to the values of abundance and prosperity.

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rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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These are Boizot’s earliest known sculptures. He made them in Rome, where he worked and studied after having in 1762 won the Prix de Rome (a prize for artists that came with a travel stipend). The sacrificial scenes are conceived as antique reliefs, with simple scenes of draped women in profile. These works are early examples of Neoclassicism in sculpture.