Lot 81: PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION f - WILHELM LIST AUSTRIAN, 1864-1918 APOLLO UND DIE SCHWÄNE

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION f - WILHELM LIST AUSTRIAN, 1864-1918 APOLLO UND DIE SCHWÄNE (APOLLO CHARMING THE SWANS)

signed

oil on canvas

PROVENANCE

George Encil (sale: Sotheby's, London, 21 November 1989, lot 74)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

EXHIBITED

Vienna, Erste Sezession, 1898, no. 370
Kunstsalon Brüko, 1914, no. 37
LITERATURE AND REFERENCES

W. Schölermann in Kunstchronik, Neue Folge IX, 1897-98, p. 371, no. 23
Neues Wiener Abendblatt, 5 March 1914
Die Zeit, 7 March 1914
Österreichische Volkszeitung, 11 March 1914
CATALOGUE NOTE

Painted circa 1897-98, this picture was exhibited in the first Secessionist exhibition in Vienna, with the title Letzten Sang, den Sang des Todes, Lehrt den Schwan, des Sanges Gott.

In Greek mythology, Leto, who conceived twins with Zeus, was pursued by the jealous goddess Hera, Zeus' wife. Trying to prevent her from giving birth, Hera forced Leto to roam the earth. But Leto couldn't find any place to rest, since Hera had forbidden earth to allow the pregnant Leto to give birth to her children in any sunlit place. The only place to seek shelter was the island Delos in the Aegan Sea, which had appeared after Poseidon, divinity of the sea, had dropped the water level. Because this island was said to be floating it was not under Hera's prohibition. Before Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo, the island was encircled by a flock of swans. This is why swans were sacred to Apollo. In addition the legend tells that during the birth of the gods, holy swans flew around the island. As a gesture of thanks Delos was secured to the sea-bed by four columns to give it stability, and from then on it became one of the most important sanctuaries to Apollo.

123 by 351cm., 48 1/2 by 138in.