Artwork
Ceres Begging for Jupiter's Thunderbolt after the Kidnapping of Her Daughter Proserpine
Ceres Begging for Jupiter's Thunderbolt after the Kidnapping of Her Daughter Proserpine is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Antoine-François Callet. It dates from 1789 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Ceres Begging for Jupiter's Thunderbolt after the Kidnapping of Her Daughter Proserpine is an oil painting created by Antoine-François Callet in 1789. It is a mythological scene rendered in the Rococo style and is now held in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Ceres, a figure from Roman mythology, pleading with Jupiter for his thunderbolt following the abduction of her daughter Proserpine. The scene is populated by other figures, including a woman holding a torch, possibly a representation of a mythological character or symbol.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by a dramatic and chaotic composition, with swirling clouds and smoke in the background and multiple figures in dynamic poses. The use of vivid colors, such as red and blue, adds to the emotional intensity of the scene, typical of Rococo painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Antoine-François Callet (1741–1823), generally known as Antoine Callet, was a French painter of portraits and allegorical works, who acted as official portraitist to Louis XVI.
Apollo and Thetis
The Birth of Minerva
The Olympus (Jupiter, Crowned with Myrtle By the Hours, Proffers a Goblet to Ganymede to Be Served Nectar)
Dispute between Minerva and Neptune over the Naming of the City of Athens
Truth and Mercy
Aurora
The Rape of Proserpine
Mars Being Disarmed by Venus
Betrothal of Cupid and Psyche