In the spirit of Valentine's Day, we've looked to our collection to tell us a love story. Benjamin West's Erasistratus the Physician Discovers the Love of Antiochus for Stratonice (1772) is loosely based on a legend from Greek history. West's work tells the story of Seleucus, the king of Syria, who has summoned the eminent Greek physician Erasistratus to diagnose a mysterious ailment affecting his son Antiochus. After observing the prince's behavior, the doctor concludes that Antiochus is suffering from unrequited love. West depicts the moment when Erasistratus - taking Antiochus's pulse - discovers that Antiochus longs for his own stepmother, Stratonice. Erasistratus, testing the king's judgment, tells him that Antiochus longs for his own wife, rather than his stepmother. Hastily, Seleucus orders Erasistratus to give his wife to Antiochus; however, Erasistratus's trick proved that Seleucus would do anything for his son to live. "I'm glad to know where you stand," said Erasistratus, "because, in actuality, your son longs for your wife, not mine." Realizing that he must follow his own orders, the king gave his wife to his beloved son, saving his life. To learn more about this painting and other works in our collection, see our book Birmingham Museum of Art Guide to the Collection.