In 1791, Anne-Louis Girodet (1767–1824) painted The Sleep of Endymion (originally displayed at the 1973 Salon under the title Endymion, Effect of the Moon), as an example of a "nude study"—one of the requirements of students at the French Academy in Rome. The originality of expression visible in this work, however, goes beyond the category of "nude study" to represent a challenging approach to history painting more broadly.
In later years, Jacques-Louis David would describe this painting as superior to Correggio's. Girodet had observed the ancient master's works and incorporated his distinguished techniques into his own work in Italy. Girodet was outspoken in his criticisms of Jacques-Louis David and his followers—especially during his period in Rome—and explicit in his attempt at creating a different style.
In this article, I aim to analyze the nature of Girodet's drawings sketched in Italy, against the backdrop of the works Girodet observed on his journey to Rome. A focus, therefore, is on the figure "Amor" and the changes to his pose during the creation process. While reconsidering this work, I suggest the possibility that Girodet, who sought to differentiate his work from that of the David school, incorporated the "Grace" in Amor's pose, as seen in Correggio's Leda and the Swan, to modify a dynamic to static composition more suitable for his Greek mythological theme.