Description of the painting by Correggio “Jupiter and Io”
“Jupiter and Io” – a picture of the Italian Renaissance artist Antonio Allegri known as Correggio. She is in the Vienna Museum of Art. The picture was conceived after the success of Correggio’s previous work “Venus, Satyr and Cupid”. It is known that the painter painted four canvases as a whole, although perhaps more were planned.
In the first edition of his book, the biographer of the Renaissance, Giorgio Vasari mentions only two paintings: “Leda and the Swan” (located today in Berlin Hemaldegaleri) and one Venus (it is quite possible that this is Danae, currently in the Roman Gallery Borgeza) although he knew them only from descriptions provided by Giulio Romano.
Vasari mentions that Duke Federico Gonzaga wanted to donate works to the emperor and king of Spain, Charles V: that two other works, “Ganymede, stolen by the Eagle” and “Jupiter and Io”,
The scene of Jupiter and Io is inspired by the classic works of Ovid. Io, the daughter of Inaka, the first king of Argos, is tempted by Jupiter (or Zeus), who hides behind the dunes so as not to catch the eyes of jealous Juno (in the Greek mythology, Hera).
Jupiter often seduced other women and took on various disguises to conceal his adventures. He appeared before his beloveds in the form of a swan, an eagle, but in this picture he remained himself. Jupiter embraces the nymph Io, his face is barely visible. She pulls Jupiter’s misty, smoky hand toward herself with barely restrained sensuality. The contrast between the disappearing figure of Jupiter and the substance of the body of Io, shown lost, in some kind of erotic delight, draws attention to itself. This motive anticipated many of the works of Bernini and Rubens.
Related posts:
- Description of the painting by Francois Boucher “Jupiter and Callisto”At the beginning of the eighteenth century in France, the most popular style in art was Rococo. For rococo is characterized by the image of luxury, satiety, the abundance of decorative elements, capricious forms. Pictures at that time served mainly as interior decoration. The characters were portrayed like porcelain figurines; at the same time, for […]...
- Description of the painting by Jean-Auguste Ingres “Zeus (Jupiter) and Thetis”The famous canvas “Zeus and Thetis” by J.-O. D. Ingres was the last work written by the artist in his student years. The plot basis for the picture was the first song of the Homer Iliad. The artist is so imbued with this episode that he wanted to depict on the canvas the power of […]...
- Description of the painting by Correggio “Danae”There are a lot of jokes about the great Italian artist, and where they are true, where lies, where truth, where is fiction, where is fantasy, where is reality, today it is difficult to make out. Some say that the painter never studied, that he just wanted to write masterpieces – and began to write […]...
- Description of the painting by Tintoretto “The Origin of the Milky Way”We see an artistic interpretation of the myth. Jupiter longed for his son to be immortal. The child was given birth to him by an ordinary woman. In order for the baby to live forever, it was necessary to press it to the lush breast of the goddess Juno herself. Her miraculous milk was supposed […]...
- Description of the painting by Sandro Botticelli “Slander”If you listen to the statements of George Vasari, then the culprit of the picture, written by Sandro Botticelli, was his friend Antonio Senya, who advised to recreate the lost images. The plot of the work was the lost work of the Greek artist Appeles. This work can not be hung just on the wall. […]...
- Description of the painting by Jean-Auguste Ingres “Napoleon on the imperial throne”Ingre painted the oil painting “Napoleon on the imperial throne” in 1806 in the neoclassical style by order of Emperor Napoleon I. In this work, this ruler sits on his throne in the usual position in which the god Jupiter is usually found, the emblem of the eagle woven on the carpet by skilled craftsmen. […]...
- Description of the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov “Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible”In this picture, the image of Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible is transmitted incredibly deeply. Vasnetsov clearly showed how to create a portrait of a historical character, so that it was incredibly lively, as deep as possible and very soulful. We see the terrible just as his contemporaries describe. Most likely, the painter was helped by […]...
- Description of the painting by Nicholas Ge “Saul at the Witch of Endor”The picture was painted by Russian painter Nikolai Nikolayevich Ge on canvas with the help of oil in 1856. Its size is small. Only 288х341. The picture is written in dark shades with bright color contrasts. The spirit is dressed in snow-white attire, and the king in a blood-red robe. This allows us to expressly […]...
- Description of the painting by Alexander Benois “Versailles. Walk the King “Alexander Benois showed great interest in the art of Russian and European Baroque since childhood. He sought to achieve a synthesis of Western European trends and some elements of traditional Russian folk art. He began to draw in kindergarten. The atmosphere in the house contributed to its artistic development. From 1896 to 1899, Benoit lived […]...
- Description of the painting by Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn “Bathsheba”Rembrandt depicted the scene, which is described in the Old Testament. One day King David stepped onto the roof of his palace. From there he saw a beautiful woman who was bathing. David became very interested in who she is. It turned out that her name is Bathsheba, and she is married. The king ordered […]...
- Description of the painting by Peter Rubens “Anna of Austria”Rubens was very hard to draw Anna of Austria, wife of King Louis XIII of France. Four portraits eloquently tell us about this. Now it is difficult to say exactly at what time they were written. Experts relate all 4 portraits to the years 1622-1625. The costume, which is depicted in one of the most […]...
- Description of the painting by Karl Bryullov “Death of Inessa de Castro”In 1841, Karl Bryullov created one of his most famous paintings, The Death of Inessa de Castro. The work is a typical representative of the style of romanticism. The canvas is made on canvas with oil. The plot is based on real historical events. The main heroine of the picture is a young woman, a […]...
- Description of the painting by Svyatoslav Roerich “King Solomon”In the early 20s of the 20th century, Svyatoslav Roerich became interested in writing pictures on religious subjects. One of these paintings was the painting “Tsar Solomon”, written in the fall of 1923, inspired by a visit to Italy. This picture was supposed to be part of a certain series of paintings dedicated to the […]...
- Description of the painting by Diego Velázquez “Philip IV”This is one of the many portraits of King Philip IV, painted by Diego Velasquez. This picture was created by the artist after returning from Italy, where he studied the canvases of famous painters. By the time of writing the picture Velasquez for several years worked as a court artist. Philip IV was an admirer […]...
- Description of the painting by “Parsun Prince M. V. Skopin-Shuisky”The word “parsuna” originates from the Latin: persona – personality. This term is intended to refer to portraits that arose during the transitional period of Russian history, when the transformation of the medieval worldview and the transition from icon painting to writing secular portraits took place. At the beginning of their appearance, the parsons were […]...
- Description of the painting by Nicholas Ge “The court of King Solomon”Russian painter and draftsman, he focused most of his creative way on the work of K. Bryullov. The same accuracy of the composition, close attention to detail and the brightness of contrasts, shaded by the bizarre play of light in his paintings, are complemented by a subtle sense of individuality of each image. Portraits, historical […]...
- Description of the painting by Diego Velázquez “Self-portrait”The artist King Philip IV created a whole gallery of persons of the 17th century: kings, princesses and priests. Diego Velázquez was called the mirror of life. The right to depict the king and his family belonged only to Velasquez. The popularity of the painter has reached what many considered necessary to have a portrait […]...
- Description of the painting by Alexander Ivanov “Priam, requesting the body of Hector from Achilles”“Priam, who asked for the body of Hector from Achilles” – the first big work, which was written by eighteen Alexander Ivanov, while still a student at the Academy of Fine Arts. The author captured the scene of the 24th song “Iliad” by Homer. Without a doubt, the entire Homer poem was known to the […]...
- Description of the painting by Marc Chagall “David and Bathsheba”Marc (Movsha) Chagall was born in Vitebsk, into a Jewish family, received a traditional home education. The main element of his paintings has always been Jewish folk culture. Often the artist visualized proverbs in Yiddish, turned to biblical stories. The vocation of the creator for him was inextricably linked with national self-awareness. In the thirties […]...
- Description of the painting by Sandro Botticelli “Return of Judith”The great Italian artist of the Renaissance – Sandro Botticelli is the author of many of the greatest works that became the heritage of world culture, among which can be noted the canvas entitled “The Return of Judith” written between 1472 and 1473. Judith is a biblical character, a widowed girl who, according to legend, […]...
- Description of the painting by Rembrandt “The Feast of Valtasar”The painting “The Feast of Belshazzar” was painted by Rembrandt between 1633 and 1634. At the moment, the canvas is stored in the National Gallery of London. The painting was written in the Baroque era and is one of the brightest works of Rembrandt, associated with the historical heritage of humanity. The plot of the […]...
- Description of the painting by Nicolas Poussin “Adoration of the Magi”This picture is one of the most popular works of the French artist Nicola Poussin. Such a religious plot was duplicated many times by other artists, since biblical stories are fanned with a halo of allegories and parables, and this is a favorite moment of sculptors, artists and poets. The picture tells us the story […]...
- Description of the painting by Gustave Moreau “Salome”On Gustave Moreau’s canvas, the frail beauty Solomei is represented dancing in a light embroidered gold dress for the despotic, wicked and envious King Herod. Her figure, curved in dance, with a hand raised in an imperative gesture, causes a desire to follow her will, from which even the king himself could not escape. The […]...
- Illustration to “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” by Ivan BilibinA picture of the famous Russian artist Ivan Bilibin, who was one of the first to consider the problem of illustrations of children’s literature. Today it is difficult to imagine a book without pictures. The best illustrations were drawn in the times of the development of children’s literature, but still enjoys popularity. This picture is […]...
- Description of the painting by Diego Velázquez “MeninThe painting is a famous work of the artist Diego Velázquez. Some will recognize this reproduction under the name “The Family of Philip IV.” At the moment, “Menin” can be seen in the Prado Museum, which is located in Madrid. The painting depicts a studio owned by Velasquez. It was located in the palace of […]...
- Description of the painting by Anthony Van Dyck “Karl 1”Van Dyck is a Flemish portraitist and religious artist. In the portraits of this creator one can see the play of light with a shadow, a combination of plastic and linear rhythm, a color influenced by the work of Rubens and the school of Venice. When Rubens returned to his home, in 1632, Van Dyck […]...
- Description of the painting by Alexander Ivanov “Bathsheba”Bathsheba is a beautiful name, and this woman was just as captivatingly beautiful. It is mentioned in the pages of the Bible. The second Judaic King David was walking somehow through the territory of his palace, going to the roof, his eyes were attracted by Bathsheba bathing in the neighboring garden. The man was fascinated […]...
- Description of the painting by “The Bean King” by Jacob JordaensThe artist of the Baroque era, Jacob Jordaens, during his lifetime, became a highly sought-after art master. He was distinguished by an amazing creative performance – more than 700 canvases remained in the heritage of world culture. Life in Flemish enjoyed the continued interest of the painter, especially the moments of celebrations with the common […]...
- Description of the painting by Konstantin Makovsky “Choosing a Bride”1887 canvas, oil. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. The plot of the picture was a historical event: the young Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, according to custom, chooses his future spouse. According to custom, the bridegrooms collected the most beautiful girls from noble classes. Of them meticulously selected several pretenders, from which the king chose his future spouse. […]...
- Description of the painting by Nikolai Nevrev “Oprichniki”Nikolai Vasilievich Nevrev began his career as a successful portrait painter; later, a large number of genre paintings were added to his works, in which the artist particularly excelled. In maturity moved to the historical genre. Contemporaries of the author said that the paintings of Nevrev can study the entire Russian history. On the canvas […]...
- Description of the painting by Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn “Saul and David”Of particular value in the cultural and historical heritage are the works of artists on rare themes and subjects. One of these scenes is the image of the characters from the Bible of Saul and David. The Dutch painter Rembrandt made as many as two canvases with these heroes: the first in 1630, the next […]...
- Description of the painting by Jacques Louis David “Antiochus and Stratonika”David is a French artist, a representative of neoclassicism – revolutionary classicism, which does not reject the old canons, but reinterprets them in its own way. Neoclassicists believed that the artist should not just be an observer and his main purpose is not to simply capture the surrounding reality. They believed that the artist’s mission […]...
- Description of the painting by Francois Boucher “Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour”The French painter Boucher was not very enthusiastically drawing portraits. However, he loved to write the image of his patroness, favorite of Louis XV – the Marquis de Pompadour. He began his work with her in 1748. From 1752, Bush began to live and work in the Louvre (the Marquise de Pompadour herself took care […]...
- Description of the painting by Caravaggio “David and Goliath (1601)”This painting was commissioned by the artist Cardinal Scipione Borghese. David and Goliath, relying on biblical information, were heroes of antiquity. David was to be king of the Jews, and Goliath was a gigantic Philistine. In one of the biblical legends tells of the confrontation of these two characters. Goth was the native city of […]...
- Description of the painting by Diego Velázquez “Surrender of Breda”The famous painting of the legendary Spanish artist of the XVII century, Diego Velázquez, entitled “The Delivery of Breda”, was written by him in 1635 based on real historical events that took place in Europe during his life. The painting itself was intended for the so-called Great Hall of the new palace of King Philip […]...
- Description of the painting by Nicolas Poussin “The generosity of Scipio”Nicolas Poussin is a prominent representative of the era of classicism. His paintings are filled with deep meaning, conveying the main emotions of the depicted heroes. The painting “The generosity of Scipio” was written based on the ancient Roman story of a famous historian who studied the culture of Rome, Titus Libya. In the picture, […]...
- Description of the painting by Hans Holbein “Henry 8”Hans Holbein paid much attention to the transfer of plastic properties of objects, the formation of light. He was attracted to materials that were made from the things he portrayed. He very skillfully conveyed in the picture accessories, clothes that surround a person. In the history of painting, he entered as a very large master […]...
- Description of the Icon of Dionysius “Crucifixion”“Crucifixion” is a classic icon written according to all canons. It does not have the liveliness inherent in the images of saints from the Renaissance masters, there is no grotesque image of hellish creatures inherent in Borges. It is simple and beautiful in this simplicity. The cross depicts the body of Jesus. It is curved […]...
- Description of the painting by Karl Bryullov “Bathsheba”Once, during the life of King David, he walked on the roof of his palace at sunset, and saw a young girl bathing at the spring, who seemed very beautiful to him. Sensing a passion for her, the king, who did not know of any refusal, sent his own servants to her, and they brought […]...
- Description of the painting by Peter Rubens “St. George and the Dragon”Depicted in the picture of St. George the Victorious embodies the defender of the entire Christian world. According to the legend, in one city, an evil king ruled who despised all Christians. He decided to feed all the children of the city to a huge dragon living near the settlement. The inhabitants of the city […]...