Who painted Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury?

Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury was painted by Jan Verkolje in 1690.

Where can I see Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury?

Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury?

Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury

Jan Verkolje , 1690

Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Verkolje. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

According to the Wikidata record, the work's main subject is identified as "Mercury and Herse," and the figure explicitly depicted is Herse.

The painting illustrates a moment from classical mythology involving Mercury and Herse. According to the Wikidata record, the work's main subject is identified as "Mercury and Herse," and the figure explicitly depicted is Herse. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Herse was one of the daughters of Cecrops, the king of Athens, and was loved by Mercury.

The title, "Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury," suggests the scene captures the moment of anticipation before the god's arrival, a narrative episode drawn from Ovidian myth.

As a mythological genre painting executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to a tradition of Dutch seventeenth-century artists who translated Ovid's stories into refined, intimate compositions. The mythological subject would have allowed Verkolje to engage with themes of divine pursuit and mortal reception, common motifs in classical reception during the period.

History & Provenance

Jan Verkolje painted "Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury" in 1679 as an oil on canvas work, classified as a mythological painting. The piece entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces directly to the museum's acquisition, with no documented private ownership recorded.

The work was created in the Dutch Baroque period and depicts the mythological scene of Mercury about to receive the gift of the golden apples from the nymph Herse. Dimensions are recorded as 875.0 cm in height and 1160.0 cm in width.

The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is recorded under the accession number KMSsp750.

It was exhibited in 2021 as part of the museum’s reinstallation of its Dutch and Flemish collections, titled “Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces Revisited.”

Overview

Jan Verkolje’s 1690 oil on canvas, Herse Preparing to Receive Mercury, presents a quiet interior scene typical of Dutch Golden Age painting. The composition centers on a young woman poised before a backdrop of red drapery, while another figure watches from the side. The work is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection in Copenhagen.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil, the canvas displays Verkolje’s refined handling of light and texture. Subtle chiaroscuro models the figures, and the rich reds of the curtains contrast with the pale whites of the woman’s garment. Fine brushwork renders the folds of cloth and the delicate expressions, creating depth within the confined space.