Juno and Argus

Juno and Argus (c. 1610-11) at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne depicts the mythological episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses where Juno, having received the eyes of the slain hundred-eyed Argus from Mercury, places them on her peacock's tail — the mythological origin of the peacock's distinctive plumage. The subject allowed Rubens to combine his mastery of multi-figure mythological narrative with his knowledge of Ovid's aetiological myths — stories that explained natural phenomena through divine action — and to demonstrate his ability to render the peacock's magnificent tail with the same painterly virtuosity he brought to human anatomy and divine magnificence. Juno's peacock was a traditional attribute of the queen of the gods, and the myth's placement of the hundred eyes of Argus in the bird's tail feathers was read as an allegory of divine omniscience — Juno's ability to see all things simultaneously. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne holds this early Antwerp work alongside the Circle of Friends self-portrait from Rubens's Italian years, providing two complementary points in the development of his early career.

The composition brings together the regal figure of Juno with the magnificent peacock whose tail provides a dazzling display of color. Rubens' warm palette and the luminous rendering of the peacock feathers create a feast of color and texture.

This painting depicting the aftermath of Mercury's slaying of Argus dates to 1610. The canvas has been conserved with standard treatments. The peacock's iridescent feathers presented particular challenges for conservation, requiring careful cleaning to preserve the subtle color shifts. The painting has been relined.