Artwork
Polycrates' Crucifixion
Polycrates' Crucifixion is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Salvator Rosa. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Accession no.
- 44829
- Credit line
- Wentworth Greene Field Memorial Fund
About this work
Overview
Polycrates' Crucifixion is an oil on canvas painting by Salvator Rosa, a Neapolitan artist who worked in Rome from 1649. It is paired with a companion piece, Polycrates and the Fisherman.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the execution of Polycrates, ruler of the Greek island of Samos. The scene illustrates the theme of inescapable fortune, highlighting the turmoil and unpredictability of human fate.
Technique & Style
The work features a dramatic use of chiaroscuro, with intense contrasts between light and dark creating an eerie atmosphere. Rosa's style is characterized by wild, rugged landscapes and striking effects of light, diverging from the classical calm of his contemporaries.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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…
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