Cymon and Iphigenia 1884

by Frederic Leighton

Oil on Canvas
The myth was intended to demonstrate the power of love. As Iphigenia sleeps in a grove by the sea, a noble, but coarse and unlettered Cypriot youth, Cymon, seeing Iphigenia's beauty, falls in love with her. Cymon, by the power of love, becomes an educated and polished courtier.

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More:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymon_and_Iphigenia_%28painting%29

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Ioanna KarantagliConservator (76)
10 years ago
Leighton spent six months searching throughout Europe for a model to match his imagined ideal of Iphigenia for his intended portrayal of Cymon and Iphigenia. He saw a young actress, Dorothy Dene, in a theatre in London and his search was over.