Scenes from the Story of the Argonauts

Biagio d'Antonio's Scenes from the Story of the Argonauts, painted in 1476, is a cassone panel depicting episodes from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. These long, horizontal panels decorated marriage chests (cassoni) and were a distinctive feature of Florentine domestic art. Biagio d'Antonio, a versatile Florentine painter who also worked on the Sistine Chapel decorations, specialized in these narrative panels that combined classical mythology with elaborate decorative effect.

Biagio's tempera-on-wood technique with gilt ornaments creates a richly decorative surface. The frieze-like composition unfolds multiple narrative episodes from left to right, with detailed architectural settings and brightly colored figures characteristic of Florentine cassone painting.