EX SOTHEBY'S 1999 11695. CIRCLE OF CHARLES-ANTOINE COYPEL, 1694-1752. Les Amours Forgerons, painted c. 1715-1720. Oil on canvas in gilt oval frame. Depicting a group of semi-naked Cherubs forging arrows for Cupid's bow under the watchful eye of Vulcan or perhaps a satyr. This painting repeats the composition of a lost work by Coypel which was painted for the Duc de Chartres, Louis d'Orleans (1703-1752). An engraving after the painting was executed by Louis Desplaces (see T. Lefrancois, Charles Coypel, p. 150, ills. P.12A). 16 inches diameter in 21 inch square frame. Provenance: A Texas old master collection. Acquired at Sotheby's sale 7345, lot 92 in 1999 (Original Sotheby's catalogue included with the painting). About the painter: Charles-Antoine Coypel (1694-1752) was a French painter, and like his father, he became the "Premier Peintre du Roi" (First Painter of the King) and director of the Academie Royale in 1747. Coypel also wrote comedies, tragedies, and some poetry. He was also a tapestry designer. Source: The J. Paul Getty Museum. Engraving: The Harvard Art Museum shows an engraving by Louis Desplaces (1682-1739) titled "Cupids Forging Arrows". The curious aspect is that its frame is very similar to the one of this "circle" of Coypel. Could this print be based on this painting? Coypel Paintings in Museums and Public Art Galleries Worldwide: - Notable Site: Art Institute of Chicago - Notable Site: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia - Design of Upholstery for the Couch "Cupid Sleeping", 1725 - Notable Site: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 6 works online by Coypel - Notable Site: Louvre Museum Database, Paris - Notable Site: Louvre Museum Graphic Art Database, Paris (in French) - Notable Site: Charles-Antoine Coypel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City - Notable Site: Charles-Antoine Coypel at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Diana and Endymion, 1720s Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Spain Portrait of a Young Woman Harvard University Art Museums, Massachusetts Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond The Cowardice of Sancho at the Hunt (from the Don Quixote series). $17,500.