Hero guiding Leander with a torch
Pen and ink and wash on cream wove paper, 5 x 3 3/4 inches (128 x 95mm), the full sheet. In excellent condition with minor toning and some light scattered soiling on the verso.
Hero is shown holding a torch to guide her lover, Leander, as he swims across the strait from Abydos each night to be with her. The dramatic billowing of her cloak and the flickering flame of the torch suggest the "stormy night" mentioned in the myth. According to the legend, the wind eventually blew out her light, causing Leander to lose his way and drown, after which Hero threw herself from the tower in grief.
Item number: 2503
Price: $650.00
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