Artwork
The Hunting of the Calydonian Boar
The Hunting of the Calydonian Boar is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Simon II de Pape. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection and exemplifies the dramatic narrative style of early‑Baroque mythological painting.
Simon II de Pape’s oil on canvas from 1640 portrays the legendary hunt of the Calydonian Boar. The composition is dominated by a massive, bristling boar at the center of a tangled forest scene, surrounded by a group of partially clothed hunters in various stages of pursuit. The work is part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection and exemplifies the dramatic narrative style of early‑Baroque mythological painting.
Subject & Meaning
The image draws on the Greek myth in which Meleager leads a band of heroes to slay a monstrous boar sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon. The chaotic struggle, with figures falling, spearing, and charging, underscores themes of heroic bravery, the peril of unchecked nature, and the communal effort required to overcome a divine threat.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs a limited palette of deep greens, earth tones, and occasional reds, creating a shadowy forest atmosphere. Light catches the flesh and drapery of the hunters, providing focal highlights amid the dense foliage. De Pape’s handling of brushwork conveys movement: the boar’s shaggy coat and the tangled limbs of the men are rendered with energetic, gestural strokes that heighten the sense of frenzy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1640, the work has remained in England since the 19th century, entering the Ashmolean Museum’s holdings through a bequest from a private collector. Its attribution to Simon II de Pape, a lesser‑known French painter active in the early Baroque period, has been confirmed by stylistic analysis and archival records linking the canvas to his workshop.
Artist & collection
Artist
Simon de Pape painted grand, muscular scenes from ancient myths. In "The Hunting of the Calydonian Boar," he shows hunters and hounds locked in struggle with a monstrous boar—all in stiff, dramatic poses. His style…
