Mercury and Argus 1636

This oil on panel work was painted by Peter Paul Rubens sometime between 1636 and 1638. In this piece, Rubens is dealing with the time-honored subject of mythology. The story of Mercury and Argus comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and the characters are brought to life through skilled brushwork. You can see the artist’s mastery in the medium, using thin layers of pigment to create both a sense of depth and luminous color. Rubens’ application of oil paint is really where the social context of the work comes alive. As a sought-after artist, he was in charge of a studio with numerous assistants. His works, produced under a complex system, were prized by collectors and were often displayed as emblems of wealth, status, and sophisticated taste. Ultimately, this work encapsulates how the materiality of paint, together with studio production, contributed to the circulation of myth and political power in Rubens’ time.