Provenance
Anon. sale, Delvaux, Paris, 25 April 2007, lot 60.
Private collection, Brussels (acquired from the above sale).

Having defeated the river god Achelous in a wrestling contest for her hand in marriage, Greek mythology records that Heracles took the Calydonian princess, Dejanira, to be his wife. The present work shows the centaur Nessus having kidnapped Dejanira. Whilst taking her across the river Euenos, Heracles was able to strike Nessus with a poisoned arrow - the hero can be seen kneeling and preparing his bow on the riverbank. Before dying, Nessus persuaded Dejanira to take some of his blood as he promised that, if mixed with oil, it could be used as a potion to stop Heracles's infidelity. The blood would poison Heracles, ultimately bringing about his death and the suicide of Dejanira.

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- 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings