Boreas, god of the stormy north wind, loved the... Lot 48

Boreas, god of the stormy north wind, loved the Athenian princess Oreithyia. He used his natural powers and forcibly abducted them after the Athenians opposed a marital union with the wild god. The beautiful painting in its sketchy application of paint follows a painting by Francesco Solimena that was a direct commission from Emperor Karl VI in Naples, around 1728-29 and is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. There are other versions of this archetype that were very popular with collectors and art lovers at the time. The present painting, Boreas robs Orethyia, can be assumed to have been painted by one of the well-known students of Francesco Solimens, out of high esteem for his teacher. In comparison to the original picture, this version deliberately has its own brush language and painting technique. The colors are also more subdued and pastel. It would make sense to make a comparison.