Trumeau Evoking The Metamorphosis Of Actéon.

Elegant trumeau of woodwork from the Restoration period in gilded wood surmounted by an oil on canvas from the 18th century. Rectangular in shape, this delightful trumeau is divided into two distinct parts; an upper part decorated with an oil on canvas; a bass receiving a mirror. Dimensions: Height 167.5cm, width 77.5cm. Oil from the French school of the 18th century evoking a scene from Greek mythology by the Roman poet Ovid; the metamorphosis of Actaeon. Actéon, grandson of Apollo spent most of his days practicing the art of hunting with mastery in the company of his pack of fifty dogs. One day Actaeon, whom he was hunting in the woods of Cithaeron, headed for the valley of Gargagie where he accidentally surprised Artemis and her companions who were bathing naked in the clear wave of the Parthenius spring located in a cave. Accidentally maybe, but he didn't run away. Actéon climbs on a rock to better observe the scene. The goddess outraged at appearing naked in front of a man, sprinkled him with a few drops of water or recited a few magic words and Actaeon changed into a deer and fled into the depths of the woods. As soon as the pack had sniffed the wild animal, they chased it, then having joined it, the dogs threw themselves on it and tore it to pieces. Actaeon is eaten alive by his own dogs who do not recognize him. The dogs did not understand where their master had gone and began to roam the woods relentlessly until Chiron made the specter of Actaeon appear in front of them. This specter continued to haunt the forests, sowing fear among the inhabitants. We consulted the oracle who demanded that a bronze statue be sculpted and anchored in the rock. This statue resembled him so much that the dogs came to lie down at his feet. In our opinion, the Louis XVI period baguette of the original trumeau was replaced under the July Monarchy, in order to better integrate into a more fashionable decor under the restoration.