Apollo charging the Parcae to visit Ceres, who has fled from the Earth 1809

Nicolai Abildgaard’s 1809 oil painting “Apollo charging the Parcae to visit Ceres, who has fled from the Earth” depicts a scene from Roman mythology. Apollo, the god of light and music, stands to the left, his hand raised in command. He is instructing the three Fates (Parcae) to visit Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, who has disappeared from Earth. The painting’s dramatic use of light and shadow contributes to its powerful narrative and reflects the Neoclassical style that was prevalent in Europe at the time. The painting is currently housed in the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst.