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Notes
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This modello, or detailed oil study, is one of a group of 12 that Giordano made in preparation for the ceiling frescoes in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence in 1682–85. The overall theme of these highly elaborate frescoes is the progress of mankind by means of Wisdom and Virtue. This scene corresponds to part of the ceiling decoration of the grand Galleria. On the right, Pluto, god of the underworld, is manhandling Proserpine into his chariot. Above them fly harpies, the cruel guardians of his realm. To the left of Pluto are the three infernal judges; high above are Dedalus and his son Icarus, who was punished for flying too close to the sun. The three-headed dog Cerberus guards the entrance to Hades (the underworld) while Charon ferries the souls of the dead across the River Styx, helped by Death, who holds a scythe.
Title
Mythological Scene with the Rape of Proserpine
Date
early 1680s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 121.6 x W 193 cm
Accession number
NG6639
Acquisition method
Presented by the Trustees of Sir Denis Mahon's Charitable Trust through the Art Fund, 2013
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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