Mercury Rescues the Disguised Io after Beheading Argus
1695
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1695
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
This painting shows Mercury in mid-air, sword still raised, while Io’s headless Argus lies below. Io’s body glows softly in pearly white, her face calm as Mercury turns toward her. The sky behind them crackles with stormy clouds and golden lightning. The drama comes from the sudden change in Io’s fate. One moment she’s trapped by Argus’s watchful eyes, the next she’s free. The painting makes Argus’s beheading feel quick and final. If this kind of light and shadow grabs you, look up chiaroscuro.
