JOHANN SPILLENBERGER | Mercury Encountering Aglauros at the House of Herse and her father, King Cecrops

J.A. Patteson, according to an old piece of canvas affixed to the reverse;

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 17 February 1988, lot 114 (as German School, 17th century), where acquired.

R. Baljohr, Johann von Spillenberger 1628-1679, Ein Maler des Barock, Weissenhorn 2003, pp. 246-47, cat. no. M37, reproduced in colour fig. 50.

Ovid recounts the subject of this painting in his Metamorphoses, Book 2: 708-832. Hermes is in Athens, and falls in love with Herse, daughter of Cecrops, King of Athens, at a festival to Athena. When Hermes visits Herse's house to ask for her hand, he encounters her jealous sister Aglauros, who agrees to give Herse Hermes' message in exchange for gold. Athena, angered by this, orders Envy to poison Aglauros, who begins to waste away with jealousy and refuses to allow Hermes entrance to Herse's room, whereupon Mercury transforms Aglauros into black marble.