Oedipus at Colonus1798 · Study 2002.3

Context from the museum

The ancient mythical Greek king Oedipus fulfilled his fate by unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother. He subsequently blinded himself and was exiled. Here, Oedipus reprimands himself, while protecting his daughter Antigone. Oedipus became popular in France just after the French Revolution, since the subject addressed the return of exiles. The ancient Greek writer Sophocles provided the best-known version of the tragedy, but an interpretation that played in Paris in 1797 inspired Harriet’s work.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Fulchran Jean Harriet died young at age 29, and less than 10 of his works survive today.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Oedipus at Colonus is 134 cm wide and 157 cm high, equivalent to approximately 52.8 × 61.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.85:1. The rectangular bounding area is 2.10 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 44.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 83.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Oedipus at Colonus in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 134 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?