Allegory of Fishery: Neptune and Amphitrite 1768 - 1778

Gabriel François Doyen created this drawing of Neptune and Amphitrite using black and white chalk. Doyen’s allegory invites us to consider the role of classical imagery in 18th-century France. Here, we see Neptune, god of the sea, and his wife Amphitrite, surrounded by figures that seem to represent the bounty of the sea. France, during Doyen’s time, was a society defined by its aristocratic structure, and its art institutions, like the Royal Academy, played a role in upholding these structures by promoting certain kinds of art, such as history painting, and subjects such as classical mythology. Doyen here seems to participate in this conservative project. Yet, as historians, we should also ask whether the artist subtly critiques the institutions of his time. Research into the artist's biography, the social context of the artwork, and the patronage system might reveal more about the politics of imagery in 18th-century France. The meaning of art, after all, is contingent on its social and institutional context.