Who painted Perseus freeing Andromeda?

Perseus freeing Andromeda was painted by Domenico Fetti in 1621.

Where can I see Perseus freeing Andromeda?

Perseus freeing Andromeda is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Perseus freeing Andromeda?

Perseus freeing Andromeda is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Perseus freeing Andromeda

Domenico Fetti , 1621

Perseus freeing Andromeda is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Domenico Fetti. It dates from 1621 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures the interaction between the two figures, Perseus and Andromeda, within the context of their legendary story.

Domenico Fetti's 1621 oil painting, Perseus freeing Andromeda, is a mythological work depicting the specific narrative moment from Greek legend where the hero Perseus rescues the chained Andromeda. The composition centers on the main subject of the pair, illustrating the classic iconography of the savior and his intended. As a piece of mythological painting, the work represents the triumph of the hero over the forces threatening the princess.

The scene captures the interaction between the two figures, Perseus and Andromeda, within the context of their legendary story.

Technique & Style

Perseus freeing Andromeda is an oil painting on poplar panel, a support combination typical of Italian seventeenth-century practice. The composition is horizontal, measuring 40.5 cm in height by 72.5 cm in width, a landscape-oriented format suited to the narrative scene of the mythological rescue. Executed in oil paint, the work belongs to the genre of mythological painting and depicts the encounter between Perseus and Andromeda.

The modest dimensions and panel support suggest an intimate cabinet-picture scale rather than a large alt commission, consistent with Fetti's known output of small-format mythological works.

History & Provenance

Domenico Fetti created the oil painting Perseus freeing Andromeda in 1621. Executed on a poplar panel, the work measures 40.5 cm in height and 72.5 cm in width. The painting depicts the mythological figures Perseus and Andromeda.

Its known ownership history includes Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria before the work entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

The painting Perseus freeing Andromeda by Domenico Fetti is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is recorded under the inventory number 20091211. It entered the museum's collection through the bequest of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, who previously owned the work. The artwork has been part of the museum's permanent display since its acquisition, contributing to the institution's mythological painting holdings.

Overview

Domenico Fetti’s oil painting Perseus freeing Andromeda, executed in 1621, belongs to the early Italian Baroque. The canvas, now part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings, presents a dramatic mythological episode on a rugged shoreline, rendered with the heightened emotional tone characteristic of the period.

Context

The painting reflects the 17th‑century fascination with classical mythology, using the Perseus‑Andromeda narrative to explore themes of heroism, salvation, and the intervention of the divine. Fetti’s treatment aligns with contemporary Baroque tendencies to dramatize mythic stories for moral and visual impact.