Prud'hon's success came quite late in his life and was unfortunately short-lived. He studied first in Dijon and at the age of 26 won the Prix de Rome. In 1801 he received his first important commission to decorate the hall of the Hôtel Saint Julien. His last major commission was exhibited only thirteen years later at the 1814 Salon: Le jeune Zéphir se balançant au dessus de l'eau painted for Sommariva. What few commissions he received after this date he proved incapable of completing. He died in 1823, two years after the suicide of his mistress Constance Mayer.
Because of the relatively short period of his success, Prud'hon had to rely on sources of income other than major official and private commissions. He is recorded as having illustrated at least 83 books, as well as producing vignettes for the headings of various administrative letters. His main publisher was Renouard, for whom he executed the present drawings in 1800. After the death of his engraver Copia in 1799, Prud'hon worked with the latter's student, Berthélemy-Joseph-Fulcran Roger, engraver of the present drawings. Prud'hon's careful preparation of the design took so long that, on its completion, he refused to use the technique again. The catalogue of the Renouard sale mentions that although he repeatedly requested Prud'hon to produce more drawings of this type for the Imitation de Jésus-Christ, Abrocome et Auzia and Dapnis et Chloé, the artist stubbornly refused. Henceforth Prud'hon would draw only in chalk on blue paper, as in the present sketch. Thus when the artist was asked to supply designs for Renouard's Daphnis and Chloe later that same year, Prud'hon provided a chalk sketch and not a finished wash drawing, J. Guiffrey, op. cit., no. 1048, pl. XXIX.
Another sketch for Sylvie and le Satyre was in the Laperlier sale, mentioned in J. Guiffrey, op. cit., no. 1046