Artwork
The upbringing of Jupiter
The upbringing of Jupiter is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem painted *The Upbringing of Jupiter* in 1665 using oil on canvas. The work exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age’s landscape tradition, integrating mythological narrative within a pastoral setting. It is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a mythic scene of Jupiter’s infancy, populated by nude figures and animals in a tangled tableau. A kneeling woman in blue cradles an infant, while a goat stands nearby. Above them, a winged male figure gestures toward the group, and an elderly onlooker leans on a staff, observing the chaos.
Technique & Style
Berchem employs a soft chiaroscuro, allowing shadows to merge figures into the surrounding landscape. Light falls on bodies and beasts, producing a hazy, almost smoky atmosphere. The palette is dominated by dark browns and blues, punctuated by highlights of white and gold that draw attention to key elements.
Context
As a second‑generation Dutch Italianate landscape painter, Berchem drew on classical ruins and bucolic motifs inspired by Italian travel, whether actual or imagined. His work reflects the period’s fascination with combining northern realism and southern idealized scenery within mythological narratives.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the painting has remained in European collections, eventually entering the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, where it is displayed among other Dutch Golden Age works.
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…
