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Aurora, goddess of dawn, is in love with the mortal Cephalus and tries to seduce him. Cephalus, dressed here in blue, turns away from Aurora, rejecting her advances. He gazes towards a portrait of his wife, Procris, held by a winged cupid. Later, when Cephalus and Procris are reunited, they each doubt the fidelity of the other. Their story ends tragically when Cephalus accidentally kills his wife with a magic spear. To the left of Aurora and Cephalus is a reclining river god, probably Oceanus, and beside him is the winged horse Pegasus. The background figure wearing a wreath of corn and holding flowers could be Terra, a goddess associated with the awakening earth. The faint outline of the sun god Apollo in his chariot can be seen in the vivid orange sky.
Title
Cephalus and Aurora
Date
about 1630
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 96.9 x W 131.3 cm
Accession number
NG65
Acquisition method
G.J. Cholmondely Bequest, 1831
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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