Mythology

01 Work, Interpretations of Olympian deities, THE ART OF WAR, Arturo Michelena's Penthesilea, with footnotes #50

Arturo Michelena

Penthesilea

Oil on canvas

436 x 648cm

Instituto Autonomo Circulo Militar de las Fuerzas Armadas, Caracas

Penthesilea, daughter of Ares and Otrera, was an Amazon queen who fought and died in the Trojan War. After Hector, the leader of the Trojan army, was killed in the final year of the war, Penthesilea arrived with a small but highly skilled troop of Amazon warriors to help the doomed city against the Greeks. Penthesilea slew many Greeks before being killed in turn by Achilles, the greatest of the Greek warriors at Troy. But when Achilles stripped Penthesilea of her armor and beheld her beauty, he fell in love with the fallen queen. More on Penthesilea

Francisco Arturo Michelena Castillo was born on June 16, 1863 in Valencia, Venezuela. He was the son of the painter Juan Antonio Michelena, who would become his teacher. Between 1869 and 1871, he studied at the Lisandro Ramírez School in Valencia, and later at the Colegio Cajigal whose director was Alejo Zuloaga, the future rector of the University of Valencia. Between 1874 and 1877, Michelena received his first drawing lessons from his father. He produced portraits, drawings of horses and his first self-portrait. He traveled to Caracas and met the writer Francisco de Sales Pérez, his mentor and patron. In 1879 Michelena and his father opened a painting school in Valencias. In 1883 he took part in the Great National Exhibition of Venezuela to commemorate the Centennial of the Birth of Simón Bolívar producing two works: Alegoría de la República regenerada (Allegory of the Regenerated Republic) and La entrega de la bandera invencible de Numancia al batallón sin nombre (Surrender of the Invincible Flag of Numancia to the Nameless Batallion). In 1885 he received a scholarship to study in Europe and left for Paris. Enrolling in the Académie Julian training with the painter Jean-Paul Laurens, who specialized in historical painting and would exert a great influence on the work of Michelena and his fellow students Emilio Boggio and Cristóbal Rojas. Although he returned from Europe for a short time in 1890, he moved permanently to Venezuela in 1893 and shortly after, painted his best known work, Miranda en la Carraca (Miranda in La Carraca) in 1897. He died in Caracas from tuberculosis at the age of 35. More on Arturo Michelena

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, THE ART OF WAR, Karl Friedrich Lessing's The Return of the Crusader, with Footnotes #215

Karl Friedrich Lessing (1808–1880)

The Return of the Crusader, c. 1835

Oil on canvas

66 × 64 cm (25.9 × 25.1 in)

LVR State Museum Bonn

Teutonic knight returning from the crusade; based on Karl Immermann's poem "The Entry of the Crusaders".

The late Arnold Toynbee once referred to the crusades as “Christianized Viking expeditions,” and given the wanton destruction and killing that accompanied these Frankish invasions of Palestine, his description seems appropriate. But the crusades provided Western Christianity with its greatest inspirational prize and portended the rise of the military orders by giving an aggressive medieval nobility a spiritual and military raison d’être. More on this painting

Karl Friedrich Lessing was a German painter, great-nephew of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), philosopher, dramatist, and critic. He studied architecture in Berlin at the Königliche Bau-Akademie under Karl Friedrich Schinkel, before transferring to the Kunstakademie, where he became a pupil of Wilhelm Schadow in 1825. The next year Lessing followed Schadow to Düsseldorf, where the latter had been appointed Director of the Kunstakademie. He exercised great influence on the Düsseldorf school; his picture Das trauernde Königspaar (Mourning Royal Couple) brought him great popularity. In 1837, he received a gold medal at Paris; he was a member of the Berlin Academy and was the recipient of several orders.

Almost to the end of his career Lessing was to follow Schadow's rules for a standard series of procedures in the production of a finished work: compositional sketch, oil study, detailed model study, cartoon and underdrawing for the final painting. Without an official position, Lessing worked at the Düsseldorf Akademie until 1858, when he was appointed Director of the Grossherzogliche Gemäldegalerie in Karlsruhe, a position he held until his death. More on Karl Friedrich Lessing

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Rohan Hours' Lamentation of the Virgin, Nothing has changed in over 2000 years, with Footnotes #212

Rohan Hours

Lamentation of the Virgin (f. 135, Pl. 57)

The Hours of the Cross

Tempera paints and gold leaf

Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France

The grieving Virgin cannot be consoled by the Apostle John, who looks up in consternation at a saddened God.

The Grandes Heures de Rohan (The Rohan Hours) is an illuminated manuscript book of hours, painted by the anonymous artist known as the Rohan Master, probably between 1418 and 1425, in the Gothic style. It contains the usual offices, prayers and litanies in Latin, along with supplemental texts, decorated with 11 full page, 54 half page, and 227 small miniatures, decorated with tempera paints and gold leaf. The book margins are decorated with Old Testament miniatures with captions in Old French, in the style of a Bible moralisée. The full page illuminations are renowned for the highly emotional and dramatic portrayal of the agonies of Christ and the grief of the Virgin. According to Millard Meiss, "The Rohan Master cared less about what people do than what they feel. More on this manuscript

This anonymous illuminator, known as the Rohan Hours. The Rohan Master's work shows the influence of the greatest Parisian artists of the day. Striking contrasts in scale, distorted perspective, and a forceful linear quality all contribute to the distinctive nature of the Rohan Master's illumination.

Although the Rohan Master's origins are unknown, he seems to have worked early in his career in the Champagne region of France, before moving around 1415-1420 to Paris, where he formed a large workshop and often collaborated with other illuminators. His work during this period encompassed not only books of hours, but several ambitious secular manuscripts as well. At some point, he returned to Champagne, and his later career is closely associated with the Angevin court and its center at Angers. More on the Rohan Hours

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Annibale Carracci's Lamentation of Christ, Lamentation of one's child, Nothing has changed in over 2000 years, with Footnotes #211

Annibale Carracci (1560–1609)

Lamentation of Christ, c. 1606

Oil on canvas

height: 92.8 cm (36.5 in); width: 103.2 cm (40.6 in)

National Gallery

This is perhaps the most poignant image in the National Gallery’s collection of the pietà – the lamentation over the dead Christ following his crucifixion. It was a subject to which Annibale Carracci returned frequently, especially during the last decade of his life.

Here, the limp and lifeless body of Christ lies in the lap of his mother, the Virgin Mary. A distraught Mary Magdalene kneels on the right, hands raised and mouth open in a wail of anguish. At the back an older woman in dark green reaches out towards the fainting Virgin, whose weight is supported by a fair-haired young woman. More on this painting

Annibale Carracci (November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother and cousin, Annibale was one of the progenitors, if not founders of a leading strand of the Baroque style, borrowing from styles from both north and south of their native city, and aspiring for a return to classical monumentality, but adding a more vital dynamism. Painters working under Annibale at the gallery of the Palazzo Farnese would be highly influential in Roman painting for decades. More on Annibale Carracci

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Manuel Panselinos' St. Mercury and St. Artemy, soldier saints, with Footnotes #214

Manuel Panselinos

St. Mercury and St. Artemy, c. between 1290 and 1310

Fresco

Prorata

Also called soldier saints, these are a group of saints who were generally soldiers in life, martyrs to Christ in death, and then latterly revealed as our heavenly protectors...

Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch was a prominent military leader during the reigns of the emperor Constantine the Great (May 21), and his son and successor Constantius (337-361). Artemius received many awards for distinguished service and courage. He was appointed viceroy of Egypt. In this official position he did much for the spreading and strengthening Christianity in Egypt.

Saint Artemius was sent by the emperor Constantius to bring the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew from Patras, and the relics of the holy Apostle Luke from Thebes of Boeotia, to Constantinople. The holy relics were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles beneath the table of oblation. The emperor rewarded him by making him ruler of Egypt.

The emperor Constantius was succeeded on the throne by Julian the Apostate (361-363). Julian in his desire to restore paganism was extremely antagonistic towards Christians, sending hundreds to their death.

During this time, Saint Artemius arrived in Antioch and publicly denounced Julian for his impiety. The enraged Julian subjected the saint to terrible tortures and threw the Great Martyr Artemius into prison. Finally the Great Martyr Artemius was beheaded. More on Holy Great Martyr Artemius

Mercurius was a Roman soldier who became a Christian saint and martyr. He was born in Eastern Asia Minor. According to Christian tradition, he was the soldier who killed Julian the apostate during his campaign in Persia. Saint Mercurius was also widely known by his Arabic-language name Abu-Sayfain, (Arabic: أبو سيفين) which means "father of two swords", referring to the second sword given to him by the Archangel Michael.

Mercurius was the son of Yares, an officer in the Roman army. When he grew to adulthood (at the age of 17), he enlisted in the Roman army in the reign of Emperor Decius. He gained a great reputation among his superiors as a swordsman and a tactician in many battles. During this period, it is said that the Emperor grew very close to him.

After the death of Mercurius' father Noah, the pagan Roman Emperor Decius (ruled 249–251) chose him to replace his father. When the Barbarians attacked Rome, Decius went out to fight them but became afraid when he saw how many there were. Mercurius then came to him and said, "Do not be afraid, because God will kill our enemies and will bring us victory."

After several days of fighting, the Archangel Michael appeared to Mercurius holding a shining sword. The saint took the sword from the archangel, hence the name Abu Sayfain - "the father of two swords": a military sword and a divine sword. He conquered the Barbarians. When Decius heard news of the triumphant victory, he named Mercurius as a prince.

Nonetheless, in 249, Decius began his persecution of Christians, compelling everyone to offer sacrifices to his pagan gods. Mercurius declared himself a Christian, saying, "I do not worship anyone except my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ."

The Emperor tried to persuade him to give up his faith but failed. He then ordered Mercurius to be stripped of his rank and tortured. Fearing a revolt because the people loved Mercurius, the emperor had him bound in iron fetters and sent him to Caesarea. Mercurius was beheaded on 4 December 250 AD. He was only 25 years old. More on Mercurius

Manuel Panselinos was born in the late 13th century in Thessaloniki. His primary works were iconography and frescos. His works can be found in several monasteries of Mount Athos: Vatopedi, Megisti Lavra, and the Protaton Church in Karyes. His most important work is the mural painting of the church of the Protaton. His contemporaries were Georgios Kalliergis, Michael Astrapas, and Eutychios Astrapas. Some historians believe Kalliergis was one of his students due to the similarity in painting styles.

Stylistically, Art historians have pointed out a distinctive style in Manuel's works and striking similarities between various paintings attributed to him: their soft colors, the symmetrical rendering of the figures, and the uniqueness of form in compositions and proportions, especially in faces. More on Manuel Panselinos. More on Manuel Panselinos

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

06 Paintings, Olympian deities, William Etty's Venus, with footnotes # 47

William Etty, RA (British, 1789-1849)

Venus

Oil on board

19.7 x 14.3cm (7 3/4 x 5 5/8in).

Private collection

Sold for £800 in 14, 2021

William Etty, RA (British, 1789-1849)

Venus

Oil on canvas

64.5 x 50.5cm (25 3/8 x 19 7/8in).

Private collection

Sold for £2,550 in September 2022

Venus is the Roman goddess whose functions encompassed love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the mother of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fled to Italy. Julius Caesar claimed her as his ancestor. Venus was central to many religious festivals, and was revered in Roman religion under numerous cult titles.

The Romans adapted the myths and iconography of her Greek counterpart Aphrodite for Roman art and Latin literature. In the later classical tradition of the West, Venus becomes one of the most widely referenced deities of Greco-Roman mythology as the embodiment of love and sexuality. More on Venus

William Etty, RA (British, 1789-1849)

Venus and Cupid

Oil on canvas

70 x 47cm (27 1/2 x 18 1/2in)

Private collection

Sold for £7,650 in September 2022

William Etty (1787–1849)

The Toilet of Venus, between 1807 and 1849

Oil on canvas

height: 66 cm (25.9 in); width: 72.4 cm (28.5 in)

National Trust

This painting is characteristic of Etty, since many of his pictures consist of mythological characters worked up from extremely faithful studies of the female nude, drawn at the Academy Life School. Etty’s justification for painting the female nude so insistently was that he found ‘God’s most glorious work to be Woman’, and ‘that all human beauty had been concentrated in her’. Although there was much contemporary criticism of his work on the grounds of indecency, Etty was not deterred from his self-appointed task.

William Etty was a very unusual Victorian artist in dedicating himself almost exclusively to the depiction of the nude, which he painted in a glowing and sensual manner, reminiscent of Titian and Rubens. From his faithful studies undertaken at the Academy Life School, Etty produced many mythological and religious scenes, which he constantly subjected to the requirements of ideal art. More on this painting

William Etty

Venus and Cupid, c. 1830

York Art Gallery's collection

William Etty (1787–1849)

Venus of Urbino (after Titian), c. 1823

Oil on canvas

height: 122.3 cm (48.1 in); width: 169 cm (66.5 in)

Royal Scottish Academy

Different tales exist about the origin of Venus and Cupid. Some say that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, had a love affair with Mars, the god of war. Out of this relationship, Cupid was born.

Cupid has attributes from both of his parents. Like his mother he is considered to be the god of love, or more precisely, the god of falling in love. He is portrayed as an innocent little child with bow and arrows. He shoots arrows to the heart, and awakening a love that you’re powerless to resist.

Venus and Cupid are often shown in intimate poses, reflecting the unique love between mother and child. More Venus and Love

William Etty RA (10 March 1787 – 13 November 1849) was an English artist best known for his history paintings containing nude figures. He was the first significant British painter of nudes and still lifes. Born in York, he left school at the age of 12 to become an apprentice printer in Hull. He completed his apprenticeship seven years later and moved to London, where in 1807 he joined the Royal Academy Schools. There he studied under Thomas Lawrence and trained by copying works by other artists. Etty earned respect at the Royal Academy of Arts for his ability to paint realistic flesh tones, but had little commercial or critical success in his early years in London. More on William Etty

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Olympian deities, Arthur Rackham's Andromeda, with footnotes # 46

Arthur Rackham, RWS (British, 1867-1939)

Andromeda

Watercolour and bodycolour

54.5 x 37.3cm (21 7/16 x 14 11/16in)

Private collection

Sold for £88,500 in September 2022

Rackham has applied his unique imagery and style to the myth of Andromeda. The princess has been chained to a rock as a sacrifice to sate the sea monster, Cetus, sent by Poseidon as punishment for Andromeda's mother's claim to be of greater beauty than the sea dwelling Nereids. Andromeda has recoiled in fear as she attempts not to look at the beast which makes its way towards her. The viewer can only anticipate the entry of Perseus, who famously comes to the rescue, but, as with so many Old Master paintings of the same subject, tension is created by his absence. Here, we can see the power of Rackham's imagery in propelling the emotional and narrative arc of his subjects. More on this painting

Andromeda is the daughter of the Aethiopian king Cepheus and his wife Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia's hubris leads her to boast that Andromeda is more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon sends a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage Aethiopia as divine punishment. Andromeda is stripped and chained naked to a rock as a sacrifice to sate the monster, but is saved from death by Perseus.

As a subject, Andromeda has been popular in art since classical times; it is one of several Greek myths of a Greek hero's rescue of the intended victim of an archaic hieros gamos, giving rise to the "princess and dragon" motif. From the Renaissance, interest revived in the original story, typically as derived from Ovid's account. More on Andromeda

Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. Rackham was born in Lewisham. In 1884, at the age of 17, he was sent on an ocean voyage to Australia to improve his fragile health. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.

In 1892, he left his job and started working for the Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life.

By the turn of the century Rackham was regularly contributing illustrations to children's periodicals. Although acknowledged as an accomplished book illustrator for some years, it was the publication of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle by Heinemann in 1905 that particularly brought him into public attention, his reputation being confirmed the following year with J.M.Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, published by Hodder & Stoughton. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914. More on Arthur Rackham

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Giovanni Battista Langetti's Joseph interprets the baker's dreams in prison, with Footnotes #216

Giovanni Battista Langetti

Joseph interprets the baker's dreams in prison

Oil on canvas

124 x 173 cm

Private collection

Estimate for 20,000 - 30,000 GBP in April 2015

Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. In prison, Joseph did the work of interpreting dreams for these politically connected individuals. Joseph met two of Pharaoh’s officials who were incarcerated, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

The chief baker he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

There is another version of this subject by Langetti, with the same arrangement of figures but showing them in whole and with small differences to their posture, as well a different man in the background.

Giovanni Battista Langetti (1625–1676), also known as Giambattista Langetti, was an Italian late-Baroque painter. He was active in his native Genoa, then Rome, and finally for the longest period in Venice.

He first trained with Assereto, then Pietro da Cortona, but afterwards studied under Giovanni Francesco Cassana, appeared in Venice by the 1650s where he worked in a striking Caravaggesque style. He is thought to have influenced Johann Karl Loth and Antonio Zanchi. He painted many historical busts for private patrons in the Venetian territory and in Lombardy. He died at Venice in 1676. More on Giovanni Battista Langetti

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Bartolomé Estebán Murillo's Virgin and Child, with Footnotes #215

Bartolomé Estebán Murillo (Spanish, Seville 1617–1682 Seville)

Virgin and Child, c. 1670s

Oil on canvas

65 1/4 x 43 in. (165.7 x 109.2 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Often referred to as the "Santiago Madonna," this painting once belonged to the Marqués de Santiago, whose collection contained many outstanding works by the artist. The popularity of Murillo’s paintings of the Virgin and Child derives from his ability to endow a timeworn theme with a quality of intimacy and sweetness evident in both the soft modeling and, in this picture, the infant’s momentary diversion of attention from nursing, as if in response to the viewer's presence. More on this painting

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (born late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618 – April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children. These lively, realist portraits of flower girls, street urchins, and beggars constitute an extensive and appealing record of the everyday life of his times. More on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

01 Painting, Olympian deities, North Italian School's Pan and Syrinx, with footnotes # 45

North Italian School

Pan and Syrinx, circa 1600

Oil on copper

21.3 by 29.5 cm.; 8 3/8 by 11 5/8 in.

Private collection

In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of panpipes, which were thenceforth known as syrinx. The word syringe was derived from this word. More on Syrinx

Painting in 17th-century Italy was an international endeavor. Large numbers of artists traveled to Rome, especially, to work and study. They sought not only the many commissions being extended by the Church but also the chance to learn from past masters. Most of the century was dominated by the baroque style, whose expressive power was well suited to the needs of the Counter-Reformation Church for affecting images.

The drama and movement that characterized the baroque—in sculpture and architecture as well as painting—can be first seen, perhaps, in the work of Caravaggio, who died in 1610. His strong contrasts of light and dark and unblinking realism were taken up by many artists, including the Italian Orazio Gentileschi, the Spaniard Jusepe de Ribera, and the Frenchmen Valentin de Boulogne and Simon Vouet, all of whom worked in Italy. Other artists carried Caravaggio’s so-called tenebrist style to northern Europe.

The more classical approach of the Carracci and their students Guercino and Domenichino was also an important force in 17th-century painting. It provided a foundation for the rational clarity that structured the work of French artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain, both of whom worked in Rome for most of their lives. More on the ITALIAN SCHOOL, (17th century)

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.