Sleeping Beauty
Henry Brintnell Bounetheau
ca. 1850
Medium
Painting-Miniature
Classification
Painting-Miniature
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau
Accession Number
1946.3.22
Tags
nudeSleeping Beautysleep
About this artwork
The artist’s slightly risqué painting of a partially nude, sleeping woman has a venerable source: John Vanderlyn’s famous painting Ariadne Asleep on the Isle of Naxos. Here, Henry Brintnell Bounetheau moved his more demurely clad figure indoors and showed only her upper torso, whereas Vanderlyn’s painting placed his full-length, nearly nude sleeping beauty outdoors. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.