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View at the museum ↗Panthea, Cyrus, and Araspas
Laurent de La Hyre1631-34
- Attribution
- Laurent de La Hyre (French, 1606-1656)
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Physical 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.)
- Credit line
- Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment
Museum metadata is available under CC0. Image availability and rights are separate; consult the source record.
Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
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.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0