Juno Receiving the Eyes of Argus from Mercury

Painted in 1615 and now in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, this canvas depicts the moment from Ovid's Metamorphoses when Juno receives from Mercury the one hundred eyes of the slain giant Argus, which she then places on the peacock's tail feathers as a memorial. The narrative pivots on themes of surveillance, loyalty, and transformation — Argus had been set to watch Io, transformed into a cow by Jupiter, and Mercury's killing of Argus on Jupiter's orders set in motion the further revenge of jealous Juno. Goltzius's late Mannerist treatment emphasizes the solemn exchange between the two divine figures, with the peacock — Juno's attribute and vehicle — providing a dramatic compositional element. The work demonstrates Goltzius's continued mastery of Ovidian narrative in the second decade of the seventeenth century, when many of his contemporaries had begun to move toward Baroque naturalism.

The multi-figure canvas organizes divine protagonists in a hierarchical triangular arrangement. Juno's queenly attributes — crown, scepter, and peacock — are rendered with heraldic precision. Mercury's winged accessories provide visual counterpoint. Goltzius handles the transfer of Argus's eyes with restrained narrative focus rather than dramatic horror.