Death of Adonis (After Raphael) - Anne Claude Philippe de Thubières, Comte de Caylus

An eighteenth-century etching by the Comte de Caylus, reproducing a classical drawing by Raphael d'Urbino from the Crozat collection.

This etching by the Comte de Caylus reproduces a drawing by Raphael d'Urbino, which was held in the collection of Pierre Crozat. The work depicts the mythological scene of the death of Adonis, where the fallen youth is carried by figures in a composition reminiscent of a deposition or a lamentation. The Comte de Caylus was a significant figure in the eighteenth-century French art world, known for his antiquarian interests and his efforts to document works from private collections through printmaking.

The print demonstrates a focus on line and form, characteristic of the reproductive etching techniques of the period. By translating Raphael's original drawing into a printed medium, Caylus aimed to make the master's work accessible to a wider audience of collectors and scholars. The figures are rendered with a clear, deliberate outline, prioritising the anatomical structure and the narrative weight of the scene over tonal depth or atmospheric effects. The composition is balanced, with the horizontal weight of the body of Adonis contrasted by the verticality of the supporting figures.

As an antiquarian, Caylus approached this reproduction with a scholarly intent. The inclusion of the inscription at the base, which identifies the source as the Cabinet de M. Crozat, provides provenance and context for the original drawing. This print serves as a record of the artistic exchange between the Renaissance masters and the Enlightenment-era collectors who sought to preserve and study their work. The etching is presented in a clean, minimalist style that allows the viewer to focus on the draughtsmanship and the classical subject matter. It is a piece that appeals to those interested in the history of printmaking, the reception of Renaissance art in the eighteenth century, and the classical tradition in European visual culture.