The Rape of Ganymede c.1570-1630
Oil on panel | 191.2 x 116.7 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external) | RCIN 402920
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In Greek mythology Ganymede, a beautiful shepherd boy, was abducted by Zeus, in the form of an eagle, and carried off to serve as cup-bearer in Olympus. Naked but for a robe billowing out behind him, Ganymede is lifted by a large black eagle holding him by the ankles while he holds the top of the wings. Below, a small white and brown dog barks at the airborne group, and in the distance is a landscape of ruins.
This painting is thought to be by Netherlandish artist, presumably working in Italy as the panel is of poplar. The composition comes from a drawing made by Michelangelo for his friend Tommaso de’ Cavalieri in 1532 (Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge).Provenance
First recorded as an over-door in the Great Drawing Room at Kensington Palace in 1736
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Creator(s)
Previously attributed to (artist) -
Medium and techniques
Oil on panel
Measurements
191.2 x 116.7 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external)
220.7 x 141.5 x 6.0 cm (frame, external)