Jean-François Millet

Oedipus Taken Down from the Tree

1847
Inspired by the ancient Greek legend, this is one of Millet’s rare mythological subjects. Shepherds rescue the infant Oedipus, strung up in a tree and left to die because his father, Laius, believed the prediction that his son would kill him. Beneath the surface lies a painting of Saint Jerome, rejected by the Paris Salon the previous year.
Title
Oedipus Taken Down from the Tree
Date
1847
Medium
Painting
Materials
oil on canvas
Dimensions
135.9 x 77.5 cm
Nationality
French
Credit line
Purchased 1914
Accession number
822