Artwork
The infancy of Zeus
The infancy of Zeus is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1648 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.
About this work
Overview
The infancy of Zeus is a 1648 oil painting by Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a prominent Dutch Golden Age artist. It is part of the Mauritshuis collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a scene from Greek mythology, showing a woman, possibly a nymph, with a baby, likely Zeus, in her lap, accompanied by a man, possibly a satyr. The baby reaches out to a goat's head, referencing the myth of Zeus's infancy.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by a realistic style, with detailed figures and landscape. Earth tones dominate the palette, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere, typical of the Dutch Italianate landscape tradition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1648, the painting is now held in the Mauritshuis collection, exemplifying Berchem's practice of incorporating classical themes into his pastoral landscapes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…
Paris and Oenone
Mercury and Argus
Bagpiper
Landscape with a Shepherd
Italian landscape with sheperdess and flocks
Mercury and Argus
Ruth and Boas
Mountainous landscape with a shepherdess and cows
Io, transformed into a cow, is handed to Juno by Jupiter
The Rearing of Bacchus
Juno commanding Argus to keep watch on Io
The Infant Jupiter Fed by the Goat Amalthea