Erasistratus discovers the love of Antiochus for Stratonice
1790–1800
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 3/16 x 4 1/2 in. (8.1 x 11.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Spencer Bickerton, 1933
Accession Number
33.69.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by British artist Edward Francis Burney captures a dramatic moment from ancient history. The scene illustrates the story of Erasistratus, the renowned Greek physician, who diagnoses the hidden love of Prince Antiochus for his stepmother, Queen Stratonice. By observing the young man’s racing pulse in her presence, Erasistratus reveals the emotional cause of his patient’s mysterious illness—a tale that highlights the early recognition of psychosomatic conditions. Created between 1790 and 1800 using pen and brown ink with gray wash, the small sheet demonstrates Burney’s ski...
About the Artist
Edward Francis Burney · 1760–1848
Comment on works: Portraits, history