1717
unspecified
From the collection of Brukenthal National Museum
Rapirea Proserpinei is a 1717 unspecified by Alessandro Magnasco, a Barbizon school work, held at Brukenthal National Museum.
This painting shows a chaotic scene of figures tangled in the air and earth. A pale, naked woman floats above a swirl of arms and legs, while other bodies twist around her in dark, tangled shapes. The colors are mostly browns, greens, and muted golds, giving it a dreamy, shadowy feel. The woman’s calm pose stands out against the wild movement around her. The way light hits her face and the dark swirls around her looks like the artist used shadows to create drama. Look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.
Alessandro Magnasco (February 4, 1667 – March 12, 1749), also known as il Lissandrino, was an Italian late-Baroque painter active mostly in Milan and Genoa.
See the richer artist page
