ƒ JEAN ALPHONSE ROEHN (PARIS, 1799-1864) EGISTHE, BELIEVING TO FIND THE BODY OF ORESTES DEAD, DISCOVERS THAT OF CLYTEMNESTRA Original canvas Egisthe, believing to find the body of Orestes dead, discovers that of Clytemnestra, original canvas 115 x 146 CM - 45,2 x 57,4 IN. Provenance On the Paris art market in 1984 (according to Philippe Grunchec). Bibliography Philippe Grunchec, Les Concours des Prix de Rome 1797-1863, Tome II, École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, Paris, 1989, p. 81 and reproduced, p. 83, pl. 16. It was with this painting that Roëhn took part in the Prix de Rome competition in 1823, as a pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault. The École des Beaux-Arts de Paris holds the original tracing of this work (reproduced op. cit. p. 82, pl. 9). That year, the competition was won by two artists: Debay and Bouchot. The subject, which is quite rare, is typical of those entered in the Prix de Rome competitions, which allow the expression of passions, in this case astonishment and horror. The competition judges mentioned that it was taken from Sophocles' tragedy Electra (Act V, Scene V), but the plot was reinterpreted for its pictorial representation. The composition shows Orestes, Electra, Pylades, the old confidant, and the inert body of Clytemnestra. Aegisthe lifts the sheet to reveal the body of his lover, while the other characters stare at it in bewilderment, knowing that it should have been Orestes' and not his mother's. This lot is a temporary import and an additional fee of 5.5% will be charged to the buyer.