Circle of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 25 November 1987, lot 3 (as Attributed to Guérin);
Where acquired by the present collector. 

The painting presents a clear, crisp image beneath a slightly yellowed varnish. The canvas is unlined but remains firm on its stretcher and the paint surface is stable. Inspection under UV reveals a small L-shaped filled and restored tear above the shoulder of the male figure at left, two smaller retouched losses in his left arm and two more in the floor right of center. There are additional fine lines of minor retouching and strengthening scattered through the background and here and there in left section, though the three figures at right remain largely untouched. Offered in a carved gilt wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This painting follows a famous composition by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, one of the most important French Neo-classical painters working in Italy at the turn of the 19th century.  Guérin was less prolific than many of his contemporaries, as by the end of his career most of his focus was on teaching at the Académie de France in Rome, where he was the director from 1822 - 1828.  Greatly influenced by Nicolas Poussin and Jacques Louis David, Guérin often borrowed subject matter from classical mythology, as in the present painting, a story from Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid.  

The prime version of this composition, from circa 1815 and shown at the Salon in 1817, is in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (292 by 390 cm., inv. no. 5184), along with a preparatory sketch for the painting (35 by 45 cm., inv. no. R.F. 762).  Another version of the composition, previously in the collection of Gianni Versace at Villa Fontanelle, Moltrasio, and of similar dimensions to the present painting, sold at Sotheby's London, 18 March 2009, lot 202, for £30,000.