Pluto and Cerberus c. 1555
maartenvanheemskerck
charcoal drawing
possibly oil pastel
charcoal art
oil painting
portrait reference
acrylic on canvas
underpainting
animal drawing portrait
portrait drawing
charcoal
Maarten van Heemskerck's "Pluto and Cerberus" (c. 1555) is a brown ink drawing depicting the Greek god Pluto, also known as Hades, standing on the three-headed dog Cerberus, a creature that guards the entrance to the underworld. The drawing is characteristic of Heemskerck's style, with a meticulous attention to detail and a focus on anatomy and classical mythology. The drawing is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Comments
The young, beardless Samson ripped a ferocious lion apart with just his bare hands. In Heemskerck’s time, this story was regarded as the forerunner (prefiguration) of Christ’s victory over the devil. Pluto, recognizable by his three-headed dog Cerberus, was the guardian of the underworld in classical mythology. In the 16th century he was also identified with the devil from Christianity.
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