The Fates Gathering in the Stars
Elihu Vedder (American, 1836–1923)
1887
View the original$27
Size
Secure checkout · powered by Stripe
Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and shipped in 5–8 business days. US shipping only for now. Changed your mind? See our return policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A flat 20% margin — just enough to keep the store running. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
Elihu Vedder depicted the three Fates of Greek mythology working the thread of life: Clotho spins the thread, Lachesis fixes its length, and Atropos cuts it at the appointed time of death. Their symbolic tools—spindle, distaff, and shears—rest in the foreground, emphasizing the Fates’ decisive role in matters of life and death. Vedder adapted this painting from an illustration he had designed for an 1884 publication by Edward FitzGerald—a translation of the work of 11th-century poet Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát. Vedder was attracted to mysterious, visionary subject matter. Here, he explored metaphysical questions of life, death, and afterlife, subjects at the core of Khayyám’s poetry.
- Artist
- Elihu Vedder (American, 1836–1923)
- Date
- 1887
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Origin
- United States
- Style
- 19th century
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Reference
- 1919.1 · Art Institute of Chicago