Castor and Pollux Rescuing Helen

1818

Sébastien-Louis-Guillaume Norblin de la Gourdaine

Associated Names
This is a painting of an ancient scene with a chariot and figures gesturing animatedly. The artwork is rendered in a monochrome palette with shades of brown, emphasizing the dramatic expressions and movements of the figures. Two central figures are depicted in classical attire, with one extending an arm in a gesture of guidance or command, while others around them hold long horns. The chariot is drawn by robust horses, contributing to the sense of movement and urgency in the scene. In the background are architectural elements suggestive of classical buildings and a landscape that recedes with a smoke or mist-like haze.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and ink with wash over graphite, heightened with white gouache on toned paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 32.2 x 38.8 cm (12 11/16 x 15 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.152.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(De Bayser S.A., Paris); purchased 2006 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 94.

2012

  • Vernet to Villon: Nineteenth-Century French Master Drawings from the National Gallery of Art. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma. Norman, OK, 2012, no. 5.

Inscriptions

lower left in ink: S: Norblin / 1818

Wikidata ID

Q64630708

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