Artwork
Young Mercury Stealing Cattle from Apollo's Herd
Young Mercury Stealing Cattle from Apollo's Herd is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Girolamo da Santacroce. It dates from 1540 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Girolamo da Santacroce, an Italian painter active in Venice during the mid‑16th century, completed this oil on canvas in 1540. The work belongs to the Mannerist period and is presently part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. It presents a mythological episode set within an idyllic pastoral landscape, rendered with the compositional complexity typical of the era.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates the youthful god Mercury in the act of stealing cattle from Apollo’s herd, a narrative drawn from classical mythology. A bare‑chested boy guides a small white goat while a flutist, likely representing a rustic figure, watches. The juxtaposition of ordinary rural activity with divine mischief underscores themes of cunning and the interplay between the mortal and the divine.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting displays the elongated forms and elegant poses characteristic of Mannerism. Light falls gently across the figures, creating soft shadows that model the bodies and enhance the three‑dimensional effect. The palette is warm and earthy, with muted greens and ochres that unify the rolling hills, trees, and distant architecture.
History & Provenance
Created in 1540, the canvas entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings at an unspecified later date, where it has been conserved as part of the museum’s Italian Baroque and Mannerist collection. Its provenance prior to acquisition remains undocumented in public records, reflecting the common gaps in the ownership histories of many 16th‑century works.
Context
Santacroce worked primarily in Venice and its mainland territories, a region where mythological subjects were popular among patrons seeking both erudition and decorative appeal. The painting reflects the period’s fascination with classical antiquity, while its pastoral setting aligns with contemporary Venetian tastes for idyllic, bucolic landscapes that blended narrative and scenery.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Girolamo da Santacroce (c. 1480/85 – c. 1556) was a 16th-century Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Venice and the Venetian mainland.
Landscape with a Herdsman and Goats
Landscape with a Herdsman and Goats
Landscape
Landscape with Mercury and Argus
Ideal landscape
Landscape with the Judgement of Paris
Abduction of Ganymedes
Landschaft mit Brücke
Parable of the prodigal son (November)
Klassische Landschaft
A Hunt
De jonge Mercurius steelt runderen van Apollo’s kudde