The Chosen Five
| The Chosen Five | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Edwin Long |
| Year | 1885 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, history painting |
| Dimensions | 149 cm × 240 cm (59 in × 94 in) |
| Location | |
The Chosen Five is an oil on canvas history painting by the English artist Edwin Long, from 1885. It is held at the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery, in Bournemouth.[1]
History and description
[edit]It depicts a scene from Ancient Greece. The celebrated artist Zeuxis, working on a painting of Helen of Troy, has selected five beautiful young woman from Crotone so that he can use a composite of them to create the ideal depiction. The five models now pose in his studio.[2] It was produced with a companion piece, The Search for Beauty, depicting Zeuxis searching for the most beautiful woman to feature in the work.[3]
The two paintings were exhibited at the French Gallery in London's Bond Street in 1885.[4] The Chosen Five was acquired by the art collector Merton Russell-Cotes.[5] It was donated to the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery, in Bournemouth in 1921.[6]
The subject had previously been depicted by the French Neoclassical painter François-André Vincent in his 1789 work Zeuxis Choosing the Most Beautiful Women from Croton as His Models.[7]
References
[edit]- ↑ Russel-Coates Art Gallery
- ↑ Russel-Coates Art Gallery
- ↑ Smith p.200
- ↑ Smith p.203
- ↑ Smith p.202
- ↑ Art UK
- ↑ Marvin p.50
Bibliography
[edit]- Marvin, Miranda. The Language of the Muses: The Dialogue Between Roman and Greek Sculpture. Getty Publications, 2008.
- Smith, Alison. The Victorian Nude: Sexuality, Morality and Art. Manchester University Press, 1996.