# Theseus and Aethra [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [LA HYRE, Laurent de]() - Date: 1601-1650 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 141 x 118,5 cm ## Commentary This is a representation of Plutarch's story in which, in the presence of his mother, the young Greek hero Theseus finds the swords and sandals his father Aegeus has buried under a heavy stone. Seventeenth century French masters often chose to depict some fairly recondite theme from the Graeco-Roman history or legend, and La Hyre, a popular artist of the period, excelled in paintings of this kind. The painting was commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 3 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/17\_cent/lully\_theseus.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>Jean-Baptiste Lully: Theseus, overture</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [Abraham Sacrificing Isaac]() - [Allegory of Arithmetic]() - [Allegory of Astronomy]() - [Allegory of Geometry]() - [Allegory of Geometry]() - [Allegory of Grammar]() - [Allegory of Grammar]() - [Allegory of Music]() - [Allegory of the Regency]() - [Angelica and Medoro \(detail\)]() - [Angelica and Medoro]() - [Christ The Judge]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()