LA HYRE, Laurent de
(b. 1606, Paris, d. 1656, Paris)
LA HYRE, Laurent de (b. 1606, Paris, d. 1656, Paris) |
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Theseus and Aethra1635-40Oil on canvas, 141 x 118,5 cm Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest | ||
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This is a representation of Plutarch's story in which, in the presence of his mother, the young Greek hero Theseus finds the swords and sandals his father Aegeus has buried under a heavy stone. Seventeenth century French masters often chose to depict some fairly recondite theme from the Graeco-Roman history or legend, and La Hyre, a popular artist of the period, excelled in paintings of this kind. The painting was commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu.
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