Lot 118: *HEINRICH CHRISTOPH KOLBE

*HEINRICH CHRISTOPH KOLBE GERMAN, 1771-1836 THE SEDUCTION OF HELEN OF TROY signed and dated Kolbe f. 1819 (lower left) oil on canvas 51 1/4 by 64in. 130.2 by 162.6cm. Heinrich Christoph Kolbe was a member of an illustrious German family of artists. Kolbe studied at the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts, and in 1800 moved to Paris where he developed his Neoclassical style under the tutelage of Vincent and Gerard, themselves pupils of the father of Neoclassicism, Jacques-Louis David. Upon his return to Dusseldorf, he continued to work in the Neoclassical style, primarily as a portraitist, and later earned a professorship at the Academy of Arts. The abduction of Helen was the catalyst for the Trojan War. Perhaps the best-known version of this subject is Jacques-Louis David's 1786 composition (Paris, Louvre). Kolbe's composition adheres to the strict order and rationality espoused by Neoclassicists, and belies the influence of his French counterpart. Indeed, the architectural surrounding is similar to one depicted in David's Paris and Helen, with Kolbe elaborating the scene by adding two figures and pushing them further into the foreground, replacing the caryatids in the background with columns, and enlarging and deepening the bedchamber. The figures are organized in a perfect triangular composition, with the position of every limb and glance allowing the viewer to understand the subtle interaction between the protagonists. Kolbe was also inspired by David's floor design of alternating circular and square tiles to create the illusion of spatial recession.