Franz von Stuck

Galerie Neupert, Zurich, no. 148 (label on the stretcher)
Private collection, Switzerland
Sale: Koller Auktionen, Zurich, 20 June 2008, lot 3203
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas has not been lined. Ultra-violet light reveals scattered spots of cosmetic retouching, notably in the forest to the left and in the sky in the upper right quadrant, some of which have slightly discoloured in time and are visible to the naked eye under close inspection. The work presents well and is overall in good condition. This work is ready to hang. Presented in a gilt period frame, possibly the artist's.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This stage-like composition work shows Iphigenia about to be sacrificed to the goddess Artemis by her father Agamemnon, king of Mycene. At the last moment, Artemis instead rescues Iphigenia and appoints her a high priestess at her temple. Antiquity and mythology held a huge fascination for Stuck, less as evocations of the classical past than as vehicles to express human character and emotion.

Iphigenia is shrouded in an unquestionably erotic aura which is typical for Stuck's mythologizing work. Typically, the original meaning of the story, about the power of the gods and moralising over right and wrong, has been replaced by a much more contemporaneous theme prevalent in Stuck's day: the relationship between the sexes, and woman as the temptress, symbolised here by the figure of Iphigenia on the right and the male masks on the left.

Influenced by Symbolist preoccupations with the femme fatale, Stuck often depicted woman as dangerous, independent and predatory. This is probably most obvious in his depictions of the sphinx, however the subtext is very much present in this painting. While ostensibly surrendering herself to Artemis, Iphigenia's pose and expression could just as well describe a moment of sexual ecstasy, her power over the opposite sex laid bare by the emasculated hollow mask on the ground watching her.