Charles Meynier: The nymphs of Parthenope (1827)

(Louvre, Paris, France)

Charles Meynier was a French painter from the 19th century. This painting is a ceiling decoration he made for new rooms of the Louvre. These new rooms were intended for Egyptian, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance collections so the decorations reflected this. The painting is an allegory. Several nymphs from Parthenope (modern Napels) bring objects from ancient Pompeii which are recieved by a goddess. In the lower left corner a nymph holds a medialion with a picture of King Charles X of France, the king who opened the new rooms of the Louvre. In the lower right corner sits the seine with the façade of the Louvre in the background. Painting from 1827.