Artwork
Cephalus und Procris
Cephalus und Procris is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Polidoro da Lanciano. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in the mid‑sixteenth century, the work reflects the era’s interest in classical myths as vehicles for moral and allegorical reflection.
The painting depicts the mythological figures Cephalus and Procris, with Procris identified as the main subject. As a mythological work, it presents an episode from their legend, using the couple to evoke the narrative content typical of such subjects. The emphasis on Procris highlights her role in the story, allowing the picture to serve as a visual representation of the mythological tale within the tradition of mythological painting.
Created in the mid‑sixteenth century, the work reflects the era’s interest in classical myths as vehicles for moral and allegorical reflection.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, executed in 1550 and currently housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Its composition centers on the mythological figures Cephalus and Procris, rendered with the characteristic chiaroscuro and delicate modeling typical of Oberitalian Renaissance art. The canvas measures 127 cm in height by 102.5 cm in width, reflecting the standardized format of courtly mythological paintings of the period.
History & Provenance
The mythological painting Cephalus und Procris was created by Polidoro da Lanciano in 1550 as an oil on canvas work measuring 127 cm in height and 102.5 cm in width. It entered the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria before being acquired by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains on display. The work is classified as a mythological painting and is part of the museum’s permanent holdings, reflecting its provenance from a private aristocratic collection to institutional ownership.
Cephalus und Procris is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The painting was formerly owned by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria before entering the museum's holdings. Created in 1550 by Polidoro da Lanciano, the mythological work measures 127 cm in height by 102.5 cm in width.
No exhibition history beyond its current placement in the Kunsthistorisches Museum is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Polidoro da Lanciano, an Italian painter active in the mid‑16th century, produced the oil work Cephalus und Procris around 1550. Executed in a Mannerist idiom, the painting is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection in Vienna.
Artist & collection
Artist
Polidoro de Rienzo da Lanciano (Lanciano, 1515–1565) was an Italian painter. Relatively little is known of his life. He was born in Lanciano, a town that is a few miles inland from Ortona, a port on the Adriatic Sea.…
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