- Artist
- Richard Westall 1765–1836
- Medium
- Oil paint on wood
- Dimensions
- Support: 1270 × 1010 mm
frame: 1472 × 1240 × 94 mm - Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased 1956
- Reference
- T00088
Display caption
This painting is inspired by Greek legend: Helen was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Her affair with the Trojan prince, Paris, led to the Trojan War.
Richard Westall painted this scene for Thomas Hope, a wealthy collector. His London home had rooms designed and furnished in the different styles of the ancient world – Egypt, India, Greece and Rome. Westall modelled the figure of Helen on a Greek statue in Hope’s collection.
In the 1790s Westall’s Royal Academy exhibits were the talk of the town. His flashy paint effects divided opinion, however, and many thought his work was too stylised and unnatural.
Gallery label, February 2024
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