Drawing, Design for Toile de Jouy- La Marchande d'Amours (The Cupid Seller), 1817–18 (CH 18696033)

Printed cotton textile design with four vertical rows of cameo medallions (octagonal, oval, circular, hexagonal, etc.) each displaying a classicized scene against a pattern of rosettes within a diamond grid. Above center to the left, the "Merchant of Love" (which gives the piece its name) is in the octagonal medallion: a seated woman, at the right, grasps a cupid by its wings to remove it from its cage to show to the two women at the left. This medallion is surmounted by a pair of swans; one holding a panpipe, the other a triangle on a ribbon dangling from its beak. Beneath, is a "cameo relief" of the infant Hercules riding a lion. At the upper right, a cupid sails on a boat made of his quiver and bow, with arrows for oars, and his torch as the mast. At the lower right (within a hexagon), Venus consoles the youth Cupid, while Time breaks his bow. At the left, a butterfly (symbol of Psyche), above a flower basket, which is above a pair of embracing cupids. To the right of lower center: fragmented image of Cupid and Psyche embracing. Medallion dimensions (including respective borders): Cupid Seller 19.5 x 26 cm (7 5/8 x 10 3/16 in.); Time breaking Cupid's bow 19.5 x 26 cm (7 5/8 x 10 3/16 in.); Cupid on "Bow/boat" 16.5 x 22 cm (6 1/2 x 8 5/8 in.); infant Hercules/lion 17.2 x 22 cm (6 3/4 x 8 5/8 in.); Cupid sharpening arrows 13 cm diameter (5 1/16 in.); butterfly, without border, c. 4.5 cm diameter (1 3/4 in. diameter).