The Mocking of Ceres

About this work

This print shows a dramatic scene with three figures. A woman in flowing robes stands on the right, holding a bundle of plants and looking upward. Next to her, another woman in simpler clothes points toward a small naked boy, who leans on a pillar. The background is dark, but you can make out a doorway and a few vague shapes. The boy’s pose and the women’s expressions feel tense. The artist used strong contrasts between light and shadow to make the figures stand out. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works in other art.