Orestes Pursued by the Furies
Artist
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
(French, 1825-1905)
Date1862
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions91 x 109 5/8 in. (231.1 x 278.4 cm)
Overall, Frame: 101 7/8 x 121 1/4 x 4 in. (258.8 x 308 x 10.2 cm)
Overall, Frame: 101 7/8 x 121 1/4 x 4 in. (258.8 x 308 x 10.2 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.623
Terms
- Mythology
- Furies
- Orestes
- Red
- White
- Grey
- Dark Brown
- Black
- Flesh
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextAdolphe William Bouguereau French, 1825–1905 Orestes Pursued by the Furies, 1862 Oil on canvas In this scene from an ancient Greek tragedy, Orestes avenges his father by murdering his own mother. Even before her body hits the ground, the mythological spirits of vengeance known as the Furies have overwhelmed the guilty son. By pitting Orestes’ nude body against the hideous trio swarming around him, William Bouguereau set the bar for late 19th-century academic painters. His use of classical figures to animate strikingly dramatic scenes won him both commercial success and critical recognition as the grand master of the French art establishment. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.623
18th century