Titian's Perseus and Andromeda (1554/1556) by TitianThe Wallace Collection
Perseus and Andromeda
Mythological stories of gods and humans were one of the richest sources of inspiration to artists and writers in the classical world.
Depicting these same stories has been a particular feature of European art since the Renaissance, when ancient Roman art was excavated in Italy and classical subjects were embraced by artists.
Titian’s Perseus and Andromeda drops us in the middle of the action – our eyes are led around the painting from the curved limbs of chained up Andromeda...
...to the tumbling figure of Perseus with sword outstretched, seemingly about to fall into the open jaws of the sea monster. The rocky outcrop and choppy waters swirl around the actors.
This is one of a series of paintings based on stories from the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The paintings were commissioned by Philip II of Spain and known as the ‘poesie’.
The scene looks perilous, but the tale has a rare happy ending – Perseus slays the beast, Andromeda is saved.
River Landscape with Apollo and the Cumaean Sibyl (17th Century) by Salvator RosaThe Wallace Collection
Apollo and Cumaean Sibyl
Apollo was the god of the sun, but stories about the gods are frequently dark in theme.
In Salvator Rosa’s Apollo and the Cumaean Sibyl, the darkness is apparent in the landscape. Despite the gently glowing sky, the foreground features broken, jagged trees, and rocky outcrops loom.
Lit as if on a dramatic stage, two figures are meeting by the river. Apollo, god of music, is recognised by his lyre; the other figure is a young woman approaching him with her hands out.
There is clearly a question being posed and an answer given. The choices made in this moment will echo through years.
Ovid tells the story of how Apollo promised the woman any wish if she would become his lover. She scooped up a handful of sand and asked that she should have years of life for however many grains she held... but then she changed her mind.
The powerful god granted her wish but punished her at the same time. She had forgotten to ask for extended youth; as a result, her body aged over the years until it faded away and only her voice remained.
River Landscape with Apollo and the Cumaean Sibyl (17th Century) by Salvator RosaThe Wallace Collection
She existed for many years in a cave, shown at the right of the painting, foreshadowing the end of the story.
The moral of the story could be ‘be careful what you wish for’. The Sibyl had an unhappy existence, but in return she had gained some of Apollo’s gift of prophecy so could warn others of pitfalls lying ahead.
Paris (1628) by Anthony van DyckThe Wallace Collection
Paris of Troy
Sometimes the whole story is hinted, sometimes just the beginning. In Van Dyck’s portrayal of Paris, the young prince holds the fateful golden apple of discord that sparks the ten-year Trojan war.
He is faced with a choice of three powerful goddesses, each offering a form of power, success or romance, but Van Dyck unexpectedly denies us a view of them.
Instead, we are left to examine Paris’ expression, his eyes led away off the canvas, fatefully distracted by Venus’ winning offer of the most beautiful woman in the world.
One hand gently pulls at the rich blue fabric which has slipped off his other shoulder, revealing luminous skin over muscle.
For all the delicacy of his expression, we are reminded both of desire and its ruinous consequences, a constant thread in these ancient stories of gods and humans.
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