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The life-sized figure that represents the planet Mercury holds the caduceus in his left hand and points with the index finger of his extended right hand. Behind him, a fragment of the zodiac presents the signs of Gemini and Virgo. At the top, a winged figure points to the sky with its left hand.This painting and its companions (P306 to P312) are copies of cartoons for the mosaics at the Chigi Chap
The lack of an autograph work of this theme by Jacopo suggests that the idea for the composition came from Francesco at the end of the 1570s, by which time he had gained greater independence from his father and found a Venetian clientele who was receptive to this subject matter. Two further versions are known: one hangs in the Galleria degli Uffizi (inv. 6.219), and the other was auctioned in 1976
The frieze arrangement of the figures places this work in the painter`s classical phase, which began in 1594, the same year as the date on this painting. In Van Thiel`s view, it could be the picture which the Haarlem City Council acquired from the painter in 1594, and which was presented as a gift to Coenraet Dircksz. de Rechtere in around 1601-08, in gratitude for services rendered between 1574 a
Representación alegórica del triunfo del Amor que lleva a Júpiter con los brazos atados en una suntuosa carroza tirada por cuatro caballos blancos. Entre las figuras que acompañan a la carroza, a la derecha de la composición, aparece Apolo portando una cítara como atributo de identificación del dios, y tras él un músico tocando una flauta de Pan.
As Homer tells it in The Iliad, Paris the shepherd, son of Priam, had to decide with of the three goddesses —Juno, Venus or Minerva— was the most beautiful, and give her the golden apple Mercury he had received from Mercury. On the left, Paris appears to be meditating, with the apple still in his hands. His attention is focused on Venus, in the middle of the composition. Minerva´s weapons are visi
A model for the tapestry on the same subject that belongs to a series of eight about the Greek hero. The Story of Achilles is smaller than other projects by Rubens, but the quality of its sketches, models and tapestries make it one of his most important.Achilles vowed to take revenge on Hector for the death of his friend Patroclus. His anger with Agamemnon had subsided and he decided to take up ar
In The Metamorphosis, the poet Ovid very precisely describes the moment when Mercury, on his way to Athens, met a group of Nymphs carrying offerings to the goddess Palas. Mercury immediately fell in love with Herse, the most beautiful of all. The canvas, with an extremely horizontal format, sets the scene in a wooded landscape where the nymphs chat and play on their way towards the temple in the b
The mythological story of the Judgment of Paris begins with the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, where Eris, goddess of Discord, challenged the most beautiful goddesses to take a golden apple which she threw among the guests. Juno, Minerva and Venus started to argue and Jupiter decided to give the apple to Mercury and let Paris be the judge of this dispute. This judgment is told by the Roman poet Ovi
As with the Rape of Hippodamia (P01658), this marriage scene was commissioned from Rubens as part of the mythological cycle drawn from Ovid´s Metamorphoses, which was to serve as the main artistic decoration of the Torre de la Parada. While Rubens prepared the oil sketch for the scene (Art Institute of Chicago), the Marriage of Peleus and Thetis was one of the numerous full-scale canvases whose ex
According to Ovid (Metamorphosis, book V), in order to avoid her husband Jupiter´s infidelities, the goddess, Juno, converted the nymph, Io, into a lamb and called on Argos, the shepherd, to look after her. Jupiter sent Mercury, the gods´ messenger, to kill Argos and recover the nymph. Rubens depicts Mercury without his traditional attributes. He only carries his sword and the flute with which he
Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maya, bears his characteristic attributes as the gods´ messenger: a winged hat and shoes, as well as the caduceus, a hazel wand with two serpents wound around it, which Apollo gave him as a symbol of agreement and reconciliation. The god´s anatomy and the use of paint give this figure a sculptural appearance, showing Rubens capacity to depict on canvas some of the m
Wearing his characteristic winged hat, and with a pan flute next to his left hand, Mercury stealthily approaches a shepherd he has lulled to sleep with the unlimited powers of his music. The latter is the one-hundred-eyed Argos, whom Juno appointed to watch over Io, the beautiful nymph she had turned into a cow in order to protect her from the amorous advances of he husband, Jupiter. Fully aware o
This is a sketch for a no-longer extant painting on canvas intended to decorate a ceiling in a building of the imperial court of Russia, whose memory is preserved in an engraving made by Giambattista´s youngest son Lorenzo. The engraving forms a set with another three, two of which were also made by Lorenzo, on the basis of original works by his father, as part of the same commission. The en
Espinós structures his composition into three contrasting parts, including a mythological scene with two sculptural Olympian gods in the centre. They are surrounded by a large and colourful garland of flowers, while in the foreground we see a pedestal and another stone element with low-relief decoration. The result is a harmonious composition that combines contrasting elements to great deco
This is a preparatory sketch for a painting of much larger dimensions (present whereabouts unknown). It depicts the Count of Floridablanca (1728-1808), Charles III’s all-powerful minister, accompanied by the gods Mercury and Vulcan, before a view of what must be the city of Santander.
Another studio version of this composition, slightly superior in handling, is in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh (inv. no. D1570). Two further variants of the composition are in the Louvre (inv. nos. 9308 and 9309).
This drawing appears to be by Villena as other drawings, though it lacks and old inscription giving it to Villamena.
