Artwork
Mercury and Argus
Mercury and Argus is a print by James Peak. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Mercury and Argus is a print depicting a serene landscape scene drawn from classical mythology.
Subject & Meaning
The scene is based on a work by Claude Lorrain and shows cattle by a stream, with figures in the distance. A temple on a hill is visible to the right, set against a dramatic sky with clouds and sunlight.
Technique & Style
The artist employed shading to create a three-dimensional effect, particularly in the trees and clouds. The use of chiaroscuro, or the contrast between light and dark, adds depth to the image.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Peak spent his life making prints that feel like someone’s half-remembered dream—soft shadows, furrows of ink that look like fingerprints.
Landscape with Two Ruined Towers
Ideal landscape
Heroic Landscape: The Shepherd's Dance on the Bridge
The Large Tree and the Cascade
Valley with an Aged Castle
Six large upright landscapes with scenes from the Old Testament: Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael
Edge of a Wood with Peasants Going to Market
Mercury Silencing Battus
Phaeton
Landscape with a Waterfall and a Resting Family
The Isar with Boulders on the Isarhohe
Travelers on a Forest Road in a Storm