Laurent de La Hyre (French, 1606-1656)
Panthea, Cyrus, and Araspas
INV-1114
Laurent de La Hyre (French, 1606-1656)1631-34
Panthea, Cyrus, and Araspas
Laurent de La Hyre (French, 1606-1656) →17th Centuryoil on canvasfrench
Date
1631-34
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
141.9 × 102 cm (55 7/8 × 40 1/8 in.); Framed: 171.5 × 131.5 cm (67 1/2 × 51 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment
This is one of two surviving paintings from Laurent de La Hyre’s series illustrating the story of Queen Panthea’s capture by the armies of Cyrus the Great, the ancient king of Persia. Cyrus, shown here in blue, refused even to gaze upon the beautiful queen, choosing instead to concentrate on affairs of state and turning her care over to his friend Araspas, who ultimately fell in love with her to tragic consequences. La Hyre’s take on this tale of the conflict between love and civic duty was probably made as part of a suite of decorations for a reception room or a private cabinet in a Parisian townhouse.
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