Lot 146
  • 146

Follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Sir Peter Paul Rubens
  • Thetis dipping the infant Achilles into the River Styx
  • oil on canvas

Provenance

Acquired in Los Angeles by the father of the present owner in the late 1960s.

Condition

The canvas support is stable, with an old glue relining. The surface appears slightly dirty, but still present a clear image. There is a small hole of approximately 1cm in the lower right corner. Inspection under UV is impeded by the milky appearance of the varnish, but there appears to be an old filled and repaired hole in the shoulder of the central female figure. There is possible old retouching to the flame of the torch and in the right hand of the figure on the right. Offered in an elaborately 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.

Catalogue Note

Rubens’s composition of Thetis dipping the infant Achilles into the River Styx is one of eight designs he produced in circa 1630-35 for a tapestry series depicting the History of Achilles. Thetis, an immortal sea goddess and mother of Achilles, knew that her son was mortal.  Through an oracle, she learned that, though her son would achieve glory and fame on the battlefield, he would likely die young.  In an attempt to ward off this fate, she dipped him in the River Styx to make him invincible, holding him upside down by the ankle and, thereby, leaving that one spot vulnerable.  Despite her effort, Achilles would indeed die from an arrow shot into his ankle by Paris during the Trojan War.

The original oil sketch by Rubens of this subject is in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam (oil on panel, 43 by 36.5 cm.), and the modello, by Rubens and an assistant, is in The John and Mable Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida (oil on panel, 109 by 89.5 cm.). The present work is closer to the modello in both size and details, such as the reduced number of background figures and changes to the drapery of the female figure holding the torch.