Mercury Sets Eyes on Herse
around 1650/55 | Jan Boeckhorst
When Herse brought sacrificial gifts to the Temple of Athene with her sisters, Mercury fell madly in love with her, the most beautiful of the daughters of the mythical King of Athens. This is the version as described by Ovid (43 B.C.–17 A.D.). The sentimental facial expression, the unsteady body posture, and the agitated folds clearly show the influence of van Dyck. The scene was particularly popular – Boeckhorst painted several slightly different versions of this theme.
When Herse brought sacrificial gifts to the Temple of Athene with her sisters, Mercury fell madly in love with her, the most beautiful of the daughters of the mythical King of Athens. This is the version as described by Ovid (43 B.C.–17 A.D.). The sentimental facial expression, the unsteady body posture, and the agitated folds clearly show the influence of van Dyck. The scene was particularly popular – Boeckhorst painted several slightly different versions of this theme.
Artist:
Jan Boeckhorst (1604 Rees oder Münster - 1668 Antwerpen) DNB
Time:
around 1650/55
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Flemish
Material/technology:
Canvas
Dimensions:
118 cm × 178,5 cm
Framed: 142 cm × 204 cm × 9 cm
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
Gemäldegalerie, 379
Provenance
Coll. Leopold Wilhelm