Jupiter and Mercury in the house of Philemon and Baucis

细节

Johann Heiss (Memmingen 1640-1704 Augsburg)
Jupiter and Mercury in the house of Philemon and Baucis
oil on canvas
44½ x 75 in. (113 x 190.5 cm.)

注意事项

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

拍场告示

Please note that the attribution should read: Attributed to Johann Heiss (Memmingen 1640-1704 Augsburg). An attribution to Johann Carl Loth (Munich 1632-1698 Venice) has also been proposed.

拍品专文

The moralising fable of Baucis and Philemon is recounted by Ovid in his Metamorphoses VIII. The old married couple were the only ones to welcome Zeus and Hermes, who arrived in their Phrygian town disguised as peasants asking for hospitality. The two gods decided to flood the inhospitable town and all the people that turned them away. The cottage where Philemon and Baucis lived was transformed into a temple and the old couple became its guardians. They were granted one wish by the gods; they chose to die at the same time. When this happened they were changed into two intertwining trees, one of oak and the other a linden tree.
We are grateful to Professor Ugo Ruggeri for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs.