Mercury and Argus in a Landscape
1635
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Dirck van der Lisse
Dirck van der Lisse (1607–1669) was an artist, born in The Hague.
See the richer artist page1635
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Mercury and Argus in a Landscape is a 1635 unspecified by Dirck van der Lisse, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows a scene from ancient myth with a giant and a god in a landscape. The story is about Mercury freeing Io, a cow, from Argus, a giant with many eyes. The artist set this scene in a landscape with classical ruins, which adds an interesting layer to the myth. You can learn more about this style by looking at the technique of chiaroscuro.
This painting depicts a scene from ancient myth. The queen of the gods, Juno, jealous of her husband Jupiter's affair with Io, changed the mortal woman into a cow. Juno then ordered Argus - a giant with many eyes - to watch over Io constantly. In response, Zeus sent Mercury, the god of deception, to free Io. Mercury lulled Argus to sleep by playing the flute, then killed him and released the cow. The artist set the scene in a landscape with classical ruins. The expansive vista belongs to an earlier tradition that evokes the immenseness of the world through panoramic views, offering the…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Dirck van der Lisse (1607–1669) was an artist, born in The Hague.
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