Carle Vernet (French, 1758–1836) In a balanced
composition that controls the subject's violence, Carle Vernet captured the final dramatic moment of an ancient Greek tragedy. Within the scene's frozen motion, Hippolytos's dramatic yet rigid pose typifies the
Neoclassical style. Nevertheless the artist emphasized his technical skill by contrasting the varied soft textures of the frothy clouds of sea spray, the horses' swirling manes and tails, and the leopard skin tied around Hippolytos's waist.
Hippolytos's stepmother Phaidra fell in love with him, but he rejected her affections. In revenge, she left a note accusing him of defiling her, and committed suicide. His enraged father
Theseus banished Hippolytos and begged the gods to destroy him. As a result, the sight of a sea monster frightened the horses pulling Hippolytos in his chariot. Hippolytos lost control, and the horses dragged the hero to his death. Carle Vernet exhibited this drawing and its
pendant,
The Return from the Race,at the
Salon of 1800, where they received wide acclaim. So popular were the scenes that another artist then produced engravings after them, which were exhibited at the Salon of 1808. The two drawings were auctioned in 1817, and did not reappear on the market until in the early 1990s.
High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a white border or with cut mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Giclee Prints are printed on 260gsm satin finish using the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
All of our images are digitized from the original or negative.
Questions? Please email service@archivea.com.
Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.
