Adonis' død 1654

Herman van Swanevelt created this print of “The Death of Adonis” sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Van Swanevelt was one of the foremost landscape painters of the Roman Baroque, a period that saw the consolidation of power by the Catholic Church. Here, we see Adonis, a figure of masculine beauty from classical mythology, killed by a wild boar. The scene is framed by a lush landscape. Swanevelt masterfully captures the drama of the moment: the wild boar looms on the left, the hunting dogs surround the body of Adonis in a way that is both protective and mournful. The death of Adonis speaks to themes of love, death, and regeneration. Think about how this moment of death and loss is set within a scene of fecund nature; a poignant reminder of the cycles of life. The story of Adonis is a complex exploration of male beauty and vulnerability in a world dominated by masculine ideals. The beauty in this piece makes Adonis's violent death all the more tragic.