Theseus rediscovering his father's sword

The scene from Plutarch’s Life of Theseus depicts the moment the young man discovers his father is Aegeus, the King of Athens, setting off the beginning of the hero Theseus’ journey. Aegeus met Theseus’ mother, Aethra, after seeking the advice of her father. When she fell pregnant, Aegeus decided to leave Aethra in her native city of Troezen and return to Athens. Aegeus hid his sword, shield and sandals under a boulder and told Aethra that when their son was old enough to move the rock and return his tokens, he would acknowledge him as his heir. Theseus, full of bravery and ambition, took the dangerous route by land to Athens, where he would encounter the six entrances to the underworld along the way.

Thomas Blanchet reimagines the scene depicting the fully-grown Theseus among classical ruins, the rock here replaced with a large stone tile on a portico. Theseus Rediscovering his Father’s Sword was a particularly popular theme among French artists, with Nicolas Poussin and Laurent de La Hyre also painting the outset of Theseus’ odyssey. Although this work was previously sold with Blanchet's depiction of Pygmalion and Galetea (see the previous lot), it is unlikely that these two paintings were intended as a pair as their subjects derive from different sources and do not share a common theme.

For more on the artist please see the previous lot.