Ixion, king of the Lapiths, deceived by Juno, who he wished to seduce

Ixion Deceived by Juno (c. 1615) at the Louvre depicts the myth of the Lapith king who, having been purified of murder by Zeus and invited to the divine table, attempted to seduce Hera — only to be deceived when Zeus fashioned a cloud in her image, with which Ixion coupled to produce the race of centaurs before being condemned to eternal punishment on a spinning wheel in Tartarus. The subject is unusual in Rubens's mythological repertoire for its emphasis on divine deception rather than divine force: Juno's cloud-substitute punishes not Ixion's impiety but his presumption in desiring a goddess, and the resulting absurdity — the greatest sinner in Olympian myth copulating with a cloud — was treated by ancient sources with a kind of cosmic comedy that Rubens translates into visual form. The Louvre holds this painting as part of its substantial Rubens holdings, which document his mythological subjects alongside the celebrated Marie de Medici cycle that is the collection's most famous Rubens possession.

The composition juxtaposes the muscular figure of Ixion with the luminous form of the cloud-Juno, creating a visual contrast between earthly desire and divine deception. Rubens' warm flesh tones and fluid brushwork bring the mythological scene to vivid life.

This complex mythological scene from 1615 has been conserved over the centuries. The canvas has been relined. The atmospheric cloud effects that form the narrative center have been preserved through careful cleaning. Some areas of retouching address paint losses in the darker passages.