Innocence Prefers Love to Riches

Innocence Prefers Love to Riches — Pierre-Paul Prud'hon. c. 1804.

Medium: Oil on panel. Dimensions: 34.3 × 27.2 cm (13 1/2 × 10 9/16 in.); Framed: 44.5 × 37.2 cm (17 1/2 × 14 5/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

In this allegorical painting, a personification of Innocence at center signals her preference for Love, represented as a cupid, over Riches, taking the form of a woman in lavish Grecian robes and offering a chest of golden baubles. Pierre-Paul Prud’hon complicated this straightforward parable by manipulating the figures’ postures: while Innocence embraces Love, she gazes longingly over her shoulder at Riches, inviting viewers to wonder about the finality of her decision. Prud’hon created this preparatory sketch for a larger painting to be completed by his collaborator and friend, Constance Mayer, who was known for her portraits and allegorical scenes.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.