| The Chosen Five | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Edwin Long |
| Year | 1885 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, history painting |
| Dimensions | 149 cm× 240 cm(59 in× 94 in) |
| Location | Russel-Cotes Art Gallery, Bournemouth |
The Chosen Five is an oil on canvas history painting by the English artist Edwin Long, from 1885. It is held at the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery, in Bournemouth. [1]
It depicts a scene from Ancient Greece. The celebrated artist Zeuxis, working on a painting of Helen of Troy, has selected five beautiful young woman from Crotone so that he can use a composite of them to create the ideal depiction. The five models now pose in his studio. [2] It was produced with a companion piece, The Search for Beauty, depicting Zeuxis searching for the most beautiful woman to feature in the work. [3]
The two paintings were exhibited at the French Gallery in London's Bond Street in 1885. [4] The Chosen Five was acquired by the art collector Merton Russell-Cotes. [5] It was donated to the Russel-Cotes Art Gallery, in Bournemouth in 1921. [6]
The subject had previously been depicted by the French Neoclassical painter François-André Vincent in his 1789 work Zeuxis Choosing the Most Beautiful Women from Croton as His Models . [7]