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Description
Emil Neide
Orpheus and Eurydice
signed Emil Neide (lower right)
oil on canvas
59 1/8 by 43 in.
150.2 by 109.2 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, South America Acquired from the above
Literature
Deutsche Rundschau, Berlin, October-December, 1876, vol. 9, p. 470Europa, 1876, vol. 44, p. 750 Gesammt-Verlags-Katalog des Deutscen Buchhandels, Berlin, 1880, p. 643Adolf Rosenberg, Geschichte der Modernen Kunst, Leipzig, 1889, p. 327 Encyclopedia Americana, New York, 1904, vol. 11, n.p. The Nation, New York, 1908, vol. 86, p. 500
Condition
Lined. Very faint, widely patterned craquelure visible mostly on the figures and their costumes. Under UV: heavy varnish, which is difficult to read through, fluoresces green unevenly. The figures have mostly been cleaned of this varnish with the exception of parts of Orpheus' cloak and Eurydice's eyes and chest. On Orpheus there are scattered, dashy retouches to his upper body and legs and some inpainting to address prior craquelure. There are a few finely applied retouches to Eurydice's upper body. Lines of retouching cover her face. Some additional scattered retouches and areas of inpainting in the background around and in between the figures, including an approximately 3 ½ inch vertical area of inpainting to the left of Orpheus' proper left thigh.In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
In the present work, Orpheus, carrying his lyre, emerges triumphantly through the gates of Hell having just rescued his love Eurydice. Cerberus, the fierce three-headed dog who guards the entrance to the gates, depicted here at lower left, has been charmed by Orpheus’ music and has agreed to let the lovers return to earth. What the pair does not know in this moment is that Orpheus will soon go against Hades’ command and turn back to gaze at Eurydice who, as a result, will be sent back to the shadows of the Underworld forever.Hailing from Königsburg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia on the Baltic Sea) Emil Neide studied in Düsseldorf and Munich, returning to Königsburg and teaching at its Academy. He was enraptured by Greek myths and painted numerous mythological compositions in the 1870s, among them Psyche Conveyed Across the Styx by Charon (1873, hung in the Königsburg Museum in the nineteenth century, current location unknown) and Scenes from the Odyssey (hung in the Gymnasium at Insterburg [now Chernyakhovsk, Russia], in the nineteenth century).
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