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Mercury, Argus and Io by Govert Flinck

Govert Flinck · 1640-01-01

Govert Flinck's 1640 painting, *Mercury, Argus and Io*, held at the Rijksmuseum, depicts a scene from Ovid's *Metamorphoses* with a surprisingly violent undertone.

The white cow in the foreground is Io, a princess transformed by Jupiter to hide his affair. The seated figure is Argus Panoptes, a guardian with a hundred eyes, set by Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, to watch over Io. The standing figure is Mercury, sent by Jupiter to free Io.

Mercury's mission was to lull Argus to sleep with music and stories. Once Argus finally succumbed, Mercury beheaded him. Flinck, a pupil of Rembrandt, rendered this dramatic mythological subject for a learned Dutch audience.

This painting captures the quiet tension before the brutal climax of the myth. Do you see the subtle hints of the story's darker turn?

Details

This reclining cow is Io, a princess transformed by Jupiter.
This reclining cow is Io, a princess transformed by Jupiter.
Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, set a guardian: Argus Panoptes.
Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, set a guardian: Argus Panoptes.
Jupiter sent Mercury to free Io, by lulling Argus to sleep.
Jupiter sent Mercury to free Io, by lulling Argus to sleep.
A simple object that grounds Argus in the scene and hints at his role as a shepherd or guardian.
A simple object that grounds Argus in the scene and hints at his role as a shepherd or guardian.
Transcript

This painting from 1640 hides a dark secret. This reclining cow is Io, a princess transformed by Jupiter. Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, set a guardian: Argus Panoptes. Argus had a hundred eyes and never slept. Jupiter sent Mercury to free Io, by lulling Argus to sleep. Mercury did this by playing his pipes and telling stories. After Argus fell asleep, Mercury beheaded him.