Loves of the Gods

About this artwork

Pluto grijpt de naakte Proserpina bij haar been en probeert haar te zoenen. Onder hen ligt Cerberus. In ondermarge Italiaans vers in twee kolommen.

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio’s engraving *Loves of the Gods* captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology: Pluto seizing the naked Proserpina by the leg as he attempts to carry her to the underworld, while the three-headed dog Cerberus lies watchful below. Created as a print measuring just 220 by 140 millimeters, the work belongs to a series illustrating divine love stories, likely drawn from Ovid. An Italian verse in two columns beneath the image would have guided viewers through the narrative, blending visual storytelling with poetry. Active in the early sixteenth century, Caraglio was a...

About the Artist

Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio · 1500–1565

Italian, Parma or Verona ca. 1500/1505–1565 Krakow (?)