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Antiochus Prince of Syria and Stratonica His Stepmother

Felice Ficherellic 1638

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Auckland, New Zealand

It has been a long historical tradition for daughters to be used as pawns to establish political and social peace between warring countries or families. So it was in Syria in 294 BC when Seleucus I Nicator, the king of an empire centred on Syria and Iran, was given Stratonica, the daughter of Demetrius, in marriage.

Seleucus was in his mid-60s at the time, but Stratonica was almost certainly much younger. Antiochus, the son of Seleucus, fell in love with his stepmother, but believing his passion hopeless, began to starve himself to death. The doctor noticed that Antiochus’s pulse rate increased in Stratonica’s presence, and in order to save his son, Seleucus surrendered his wife and his kingdom to him.

The custom of marrying young women and girls to older men was still widespread in 17th-century Europe, and the theme of Antiochus and Stratonica allowed patrons and artists to illustrate the problems inherent in such a practice. The painting was believed, until recently, to be by Francesco Furini (1604–46), but Elisa Acanfora records its reattribution to Felice Ficherelli, who worked in Florence at the same time as Furini, and was very much influenced by his delicate sfumato effects.

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  • Title: Antiochus Prince of Syria and Stratonica His Stepmother
  • Creator: Felice Ficherelli
  • Creator Lifespan: 1603 - 1660
  • Creator Nationality: Italy
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Birth Place: San Gimignano, Italy
  • Date Created: c 1638
  • Physical Dimensions: w1901 x h1447 mm (Without frame)
  • Artist biography: Felice Ficherelli was born in San Gimignano, Italy in 1603. His most original works were easel pictures for private collectors, often of cruel and violent subjects, which he interpreted with a morbid sensuality and ambiguous tenderness. He was brought to Florence when very young by the collector Conte Alberto Bardi, who arranged for him to study with Jacopo da Empoli and to copy works by Andrea del Sarto. Ficherelli’s clear compositions and luminous drapery reflect this training. In the early 1630s he was attracted by the delicate sfumato effects of Francesco Furini and developed a style close to that of Cecco Bravo. His nickname, Il Riposo, derived from his retiring nature. He died in 1660.
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mr Norman B Spencer, 1961
  • External Link: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
  • Medium: oil on canvas
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

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