Italian school; mid-seventeenth century. "Hercules and Omphale". Oil on canvas. Relined.

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OLD MASTERS

By Setdart Auction House

Oct 20, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-10-20 07:30:00 2021-10-20 07:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7700
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• Lot Description
  Italian school; mid-seventeenth century. "Hercules and Omphale". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents frame of the nineteenth century. Size: 90 x 115 cm; 106 x 139 cm (frame). In this mythological scene two characters share an intimate attitude, of apparently loving character. The attributes they carry, such as the spindle with the rolled thread and the nail hanging from the woman's neck, indicate that it is the representation of Hercules and Omphália, also known as Ónfale. The painting reflects the specific moment in which the two lovers enjoy their intimacy, away from her court. Hercules with his back to the viewer adopts a posture of total surrender, while she, unlike the male character, remains upright and dressed. In addition, Omphale, directs his gaze to an unknown point, not to his lover, thus adopting a distant and pensive attitude. Following the mythological narration, this encounter between Omphale and Hercules takes place when the Hero arrives at the court of Lydia, after having murdered his friend Iphitus. With the intention of atoning for his guilt, Hercules becomes the slave of the Queen of Lydia, Omphale. It is then when the queen decides to ridicule Hercules, whom she dresses as a woman and gives him feminine tasks, such as the use of the spindle, while she decides to carry the attributes of Hercules; the mace and the lion skin of Nemea. An example of this is this work, where you can see how the lion's skin hangs from Omphale's right shoulder. Both protagonists eventually fell in love, marrying and having a son in common, Agelaus. The figures that make up the scene have been conceived following the aesthetics of classicism, with a very marked humanist perspective. The harmony typical of classicism can be appreciated in the attitudes of the characters that make up the scene. This harmony is also reflected in the palette chosen by the painter, very lively, but without excessive contrasts in the coloring or in the light sources used. One of the features of the theme chosen by the author is the great popularity of the story, which was portrayed by many artists. This theme exposes the viewer to an exchange of gender roles, rescuing from mythology a way of life that was not accepted by the society of the seventeenth century.
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