Magistral Diptych 312 X 156 - The Kidnapping Of Proserpine XVII - Hst

French school of the 17th century-

The kidnapping of Proserpina -

Very Imposing Diptych composition.

Two oils on canvas 175 x 156 cm each panel

To be restored -

Dans le gout maniériste   de Giulio Romano


Myth of the four seasons -

Proserpine in the company of her young friends the nymphs collected flowers at the foot of the Etna volcano, Pluto the god of the underworld saw her and wanted to make her his queen .

While Proserpina had barely moved away from the small group, Pluto split the earth with his chariot drawn by black horses and kidnapped the young Core.

The mother heard her daughter screaming but she arrived too late. Ceres wandered for nine days and nine nights on the earth without eating or drinking, a lit torch in each of her hands, she was looking for her daughter without finding her, then furious she made the earth barren, she started a famine. putting all of humanity in grave danger.

Jupiter, the brother of Ceres and Pluto, intervened, he ordered the god of the underworld to return the girl to her mother.

But Proserpine while she was in the kingdom of the dead had eaten garnet seeds, she had tasted the food of the dead even though she was not, a gardener had seen her and told it so she was transformed in owl.

A decision was made. Proserpina had to spend six months with her mother Ceres who, happy to have her child with her, made the earth fertile and six months with her husband Pluto and then Ceres was in mourning, the earth was barren it was winter.

Roman Mythology –