The European Art Sale Part I

The European Art Sale Part I

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 318. Cleobis and Biton.

West Coast Private Collection

Carl Ernst von Stetten

Cleobis and Biton

Auction Closed

January 27, 04:44 PM GMT

Estimate

80,000 - 120,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

West Coast Private Collection

Carl Ernst von Stetten

German

1857 - 1942

Cleobis and Biton


signed, inscribed, and dated Carl v. Stetten./ Paris. 1884. (lower right)

oil on canvas

canvas: 62 by 88 in.; 157.4 by 223.5 cm

framed: 80¼ by 106¼ in.; 203.8 by 269.8 cm

with Dumachell Art Gallery, Gross Pointe, Michigan

Private collection, Los Angeles

Acquired from the above by the present owner

The scene is taken from Herodotus's story of the Argive brothers, Cleobis and Biton. Their mother, a priestess of Hera, found that her oxen were not brought in time for a festival, and thus her sons drew her car the forty-five stades to the temple. She prayed to the goddess to grant them the greatest boon possible for mortals, and her decision caused them to die while they slept in the temple. The brothers were honored with statues at Delphi.