Luca Giordano, called Fa Presto

The canvas appears to have an old relining. The image reads well beneath an old discolored varnish, but some of the details have sunk over time, particularly in the darker areas. There are two patches on the reverse of the canvas with associated repairs on the front of the canvas at the center of the upper edge (with some associated losses) and the center of the lower edge. There are additional areas of repair scattered throughout the composition, for example in the figure's head at right, in the lower right, and in the background sea at right. Many of these old repairs are visible to the naked eye. There is a raised dot to the surface at the center of the right edge. Inspection under UV reveals a thick varnish, through which it is difficult to read and under which there may be some old retouchings. There are a few recent spots of more recent retouching scattered here and there throughout. Offered in a simply carved wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

We are grateful to Giuseppe Scavizzi for confirming the attribution to Giordano on the basis of photographs.  He dates it to the same period, circa 1655-1660, as two other versions, one in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen and the other in a private collection, Venice.¹  Those versions are horizontal in format and include additional figures.

The Trojan prince Paris was in love with Helen and, while her husband was away, he captured her and carried her off to Troy.  The Greeks mounted an expedition to rescue her which was the beginning of the Trojan War.

1.  See O. Ferrari and G. Scavizzi, Luca Giordano, L'opera completa, Naples 1992, vol. 1, p. 266, cat. nos. A105 and A106, vol. 2, p. 523, figs. 182 and 183.