The Rape of Proserpina - SOLD

The Rape of Proserpina, a Greco-Roman mythological tale recounted by Ovid in the poem Metamorphoses (385-424), was a popular subject for art and particularly appealed to Stefano Magnasco, a Genoese painter of the second half of the seventeenth century. Having entered the workshop of master Valerio Castello at a young age, his stay in Rome would lend greater classicism to his style. Upon returning to his homeland, he managed to win a market share, competing with his colleague Domenico Piola, an entrepreneur and leading figure in the sector during those years. The scene is lively and crowded. Proserpina, a beautiful and carefree young woman, daughter of Ceres, is intent on picking flowers on the shores of Lake Pergusa in Sicily when she is admired by Pluto. The god of the underworld falls in love with her and kidnaps her, carrying her away on a chariot. Two winged putti spur the black horses with a trident and whip. In the background, frightened maids flee. The subject was very popular with Magnasco's patrons. A second version published in our online catalog is proof of this. Stylistically, this canvas is close to the altarpiece "The Miracle of Saint Hugh" kept in Genoa at the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, signed and dated 1663; this allows us to chronologically place the painting between 1660/1665, Magnasco's mature period. Dimensions: canvas 140 x 205.50 cm