Alpheus and Arethusa
Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
45 × 58 cm (17 3/4 × 22 7/8 in.); Framed: 45.1 × 57.8 × 6.4 cm (17 3/4 × 22 3/4 × 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
257287
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This intimate painting depicts a scene from Ovid’s The Metamorphoses, an ancient Roman poem, in which the river god Alpheus menaces Arethusa, a nymph, as she bathes. Here, the hulking Alpheus climbs the riverbank in pursuit of the stout nymph, who looks back in fear as she flees. With his lush landscapes and unidealized figures, Uyttenbroeck belonged to the generation of artists who influenced the young Rembrandt van Rijn. Their work inspired the dramatic poses and gestures that Rembrandt adopte...