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The present canvas was painted for Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, the heir of Augustus II the Strong, who had inherited the throne - with the aid of the Russian Empire - after a war of succession.
The composition and colouring of this Leda reveal the influence of the Roman and Bolognese classical traditions on Cignaroli. The strong draftsmanship, precisely balanced composition and solidly modeled figures stand in marked contrast to the fluttery, transitory idioms of the Rococo that were embraced by many of the artists’ contemporaries.
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