Nicolò Bambini Known As Cavalier Bambini (venice, 1651–1736) Hercules And Omphale Oil On Canvas

Nicolò Bambini known as Cavalier Bambini (Venice, 1651 – 1736)
Hercules and Omphale
Oil on canvas, 94 x 115 cm – Frame 120 x 138 cm

The canvas in question is to be referred to the catalogue of Nicolò Bambini (1651-1736), a Venetian painter active between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. Bambini was influenced by Paolo Veronese and later by the Baroque classicism of Carlo Maratta.
The balanced composition, the chromatic richness and the sensual treatment of the figures are typical elements of his style, which blends the Venetian tradition with Roman influences.
The mythological subject, the plastic rendering of the bodies and the refined use of light suggest a placement within the artist's late production, in which the Baroque influence becomes more evident in the theatricality of the scene and in the expressive vivacity of the characters.
The painting represents the mythological episode of Hercules and Omphale, taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to the myth, Hercules, to atone for the guilt of the murder of Iphitus, was sold as a slave to the queen of Lydia, Omphale, who made him her lover and forced him to wear women's clothes while she held her weapons. As evident in the work under analysis, the queen wears the lion's skin and holds the club, while Hercules, half naked and with a crown of flowers on his head, holds the distaff for spinning flax in his left hand, highlighting the reversal of roles between man and woman and the temporary submission of Hercules to Omphale. The contrast between the physical power of Hercules and the sensual grace of the queen emphasizes the ironic and allusive tone of the scene, combining strength and delicacy in a refined play of visual balances.
The soft setting and the rich drapery contribute to creating an intimate and theatrical atmosphere, typical of Venetian Baroque.
The work fits perfectly into the production of Nicolò Bambini, who, with his elegant style and ability to combine classical and baroque elements, interprets the myth of Hercules and Omphale with great narrative and pictorial sensitivity. The Venetian chromatism and the refined play of light and shadow make the painting a significant example of the mythological art of the late seventeenth century in Venice.