1664
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
River Gods is a 1664 by Salvator Rosa, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a group of wild, hairy figures tangled in vines and water. They look rough and untamed, with twisted limbs and wild hair. The background is filled with swirling lines that suggest movement, like wind or rushing water. Notice how the artist used thick, scratchy lines to create texture—almost like the figures are made of bark or stone. The scene feels chaotic but controlled, like a storm trapped in a frame. Next, check out Baroque to see how drama and movement shaped this era’s art.
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century.
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