Mercury and the Sleeping Argus by Paulus Willemsz. van Vianen

Mercury and the Sleeping Argus 1610

carving, metal, relief, sculpture

carving

baroque

metal

sculpture

relief

white palette

figuration

sculpture

carved

history-painting

mixed media

watercolor

This silver relief by Paulus Willemsz. van Vianen, depicts the Greek myth of Mercury stealing the cattle of the giant Argus Panoptes. The scene shows Argus asleep while Mercury, with his winged sandals and staff, is about to steal the cattle. This artwork, created in 1610, illustrates the dynamic nature of the myth with intricate detail. The relief is a stunning example of Mannerist style, demonstrating the Dutch goldsmith's expertise in creating detailed, three-dimensional forms. This piece is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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This scene revolves around the cow in the background, Jupiter’s beloved Io. Jupiter changed her into a cow to hide his adultery from his jealous spouse, Juno. But since Juno asked for the cow as a present, Jupiter had to concede. Juno had the cow guarded by Argus, whereupon Jupiter sent Mercury to kill Argus. Mercury first lulled Argus to sleep with music and stories.