Artwork
Watchcase cover: Tisiphone Casting Snakes at Athamas and Ino
Watchcase cover: Tisiphone Casting Snakes at Athamas and Ino is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Joseph-Désiré Court. It dates from 1612 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Jean de Court's 1612 painting, Tisiphone Casting Snakes at Athamas and Ino, is an oval watchcase cover.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The watchcase cover illustrates the mythological episode in which Tisiphone, one of the Furies, casts snakes at the mortal couple Athamas and Ino.
The watchcase cover illustrates the mythological episode in which Tisiphone, one of the Furies, casts snakes at the mortal couple Athamas and Ino. The composition shows a female figure (Tisiphone) directing serpents toward a man and a woman, as indicated by the title and the depicted elements of snake, man, and woman. This imagery conveys the theme of divine retribution and madness, with the snakes serving as instruments of the Fury's vengeful power. The work thus represents the punishment inflicted by the Furies on those who provoke the gods' wrath.
History & Provenance
The work titled Watchcase cover: Tisiphone Casting Snakes at Athamas and Ino was created in 1612 and is attributed to Jean de Court. Classified as a painting (a painted enamel watchcase cover), it depicts the mythological scene of the Fury Tisiphone casting snakes at Athamas and Ino. The piece was part of the collection of Robert Lehman, whose holdings passed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the work is now held.
Its dimensions are recorded as approximately 5.2 cm in height and 4 cm in width. The available sources do not record specific commission details or a named original patron.
Overview
Jean de Court's 1612 painting, Tisiphone Casting Snakes at Athamas and Ino, is an oval watchcase cover. This Mannerist work depicts a dramatic mythological scene, illustrating a moment of divine retribution. It is currently part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Technique & Style
Executed in the Mannerist style, the painting employs an oval format suited for its function as a watchcase cover. De Court utilizes a vibrant palette of blues, reds, and golds, enhancing the chaotic energy of the scene. Dramatic lighting and swirling clouds in the background intensify the mythological narrative, while strong contrasts between light and shadow emphasize the figures and their expressions of fear and wrath.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph-Désiré Court (14 September 1797 – 23 January 1865) was a French painter who specialised in history painting and portrait painting.
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