After Francois Boucher

Lot Details

Lot 46
After Francois Boucher
Aminta Brought Back to Life in the Arms of Sylvia
Oil on canvas
32 x 39 1/4 inches (81.3 x 99.3 cm)
The original of this composition is in the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Tours, France
Aminta, a five-act play in verse by Torquato Tasso first performed at the court of Ferrara in 1573, was published by the Aldine Press in Venice in 1581. Set in the time of Alexander the Great, it tells the story of the unrequited love of the shepherd Aminta for the nymph Sylvia. Even after Aminta rescues her from the attack of a satyr, she continues to flee him. Later, he finds her blood-stained veil, and thinking her dead, tries to commit suicide. Now remorseful, Sylvia rushes to Aminta and he is revived in her arms. The smooth course of their love is then assured.
Immensely popular for the next three centuries, Aminta was translated into a number of languages and performed all over Europe. Mozart's opera Il Re Pastore and Delibes's ballet Sylvia are both based on the play.


Estimate: $1,500 - $3,000
Sold for $2,812 (includes buyer's premium)

Additional Notes & Condition Report

Probably a 19th-century painting. Wax relined. Frame rubbing with corresponding touches of restoration around the edges. Two repaired holes in the background of the upper right quadrant, and another on the ground near the lower right corner. The areas of restoration of each are about 1 inch in diameter. There is also a 1-inch repaired tear in the sky in the upper let quadrant. All of these repairs have been done to a high prjofessional standard.


Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

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Estimate: $1,500 - $3,000
Sold for $2,812 (includes buyer's premium)

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Catalogue Info

Important English & Continental Furniture & Decorations/Old Master Paintings

Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 10am EDT
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