Triumph of the Dance Artist: Edwin Howland Blashfield (American, 1848–1936)

ca. 1894

American Paintings and Sculpture

On view, 1st floor, American Decorative Arts before 1900


Frolicking nymphs and cupids grace this fanciful skyward mural, conveying a sense of joy and abandon. Commissioned for Collis and Arabella Huntington’s Fifth Avenue mansion, this painting by Edwin Howland Blashfield originally decorated the ceiling of the Huntington’s drawing room. Blashfield painted two related figures for the walls below, coordinating his murals to compliment the architecture and the room’s Louis XV décor. Upon seeing this painting in Blashfield’s studio, the writer Mark Twain remarked, "Well, I don’t know who they are, but I wish I was up there with them, and dressed the same."

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

94 7/8 × 191 1/8 in. (241 × 485.4 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Archer M. Huntington, M.A. (Hon.) 1897

Accession Number

1926.77

Geography

Made in New York, New York, United States

Culture

American

Period

19th century

Classification

Paintings

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Object/Work type

mythology

Subject

clouds sky

Technical metadata and APIs

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Open in Mirador

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