The Tender Eleanora Sucking the Venom Out of the Wound which Edward I, her Royal Consort, Received with a Poisoned Dagger from an Assassin in Palestine

Maker Angelica Kauffman (Swiss, 1741 - 1807)

Additional Title(s)

King Edward and Queen Eleanor

Collections

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Dateca. 1780

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensions34 x 42 in. (86.4 x 106.7 cm.)

DescriptionThis painting shows the Queen of England, Eleanor sucking venom out of a wound on her husband's arm.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council and Ann and Dale Fowler

Label TextThis painting represents an episode in the lives of Edward I, King of England, and his wife Queen Eleanor. In 1270, Eleanor accompanied her husband on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land, where an assassin stabbed him with a poisoned knife. Eleanor saved his life by sucking the poison from his arm. Though a scene from medieval history, the costumes reflect the popular neoclassical style. One of the most important women artists of the 18th century, Kauffman's fame rested on her portraits and history paintings, such as this canvas.

Status

On view

Object number2001.11