Cambyses Appointing Otanes Judge
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
18 x 17 1/2 in. (45.7 x 44.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William E. Dodge, 1900
Accession Number
00.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
Peter Paul Rubens, the preeminent Flemish Baroque master of the 17th century, *Cambyses Appointing Oes Judge* in oil on wood, a compact panel measuring just 18 x 17½ inches. This intimate cabinet picture captures a dramatic moment from ancient Persian history recounted by Herodotus in his *Histories*. King Cambyses, testing judicial integrity, punishes a corrupt judge by skinning him alive and then appoints the man's young son, Otanes, as his successor—symbolizing the elevation of innocence and fairness amid brutality. The scene brims with life, featuring men, women, boys, girls, and even a do...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...