The Origin of the Milky Way

The Origin of the Milky Way (c. 1636-37) at the Museo del Prado depicts the myth — recorded in Eratosthenes and later sources — of how the heavens were formed: Jupiter presented the infant Hercules to the sleeping Juno to suckle, hoping to give his illegitimate son divine immortality through divine milk; Juno, waking and realizing the deception, withdrew, and the milk sprayed upward to form the Milky Way and downward to become lilies. The subject had been famously treated by Tintoretto in his version for Philip II's collection (now in the National Gallery, London), and Rubens's engagement with the same subject for the same Spanish royal context represents another chapter in his sustained dialogue with the Venetian tradition. The physical dynamism of Rubens's version — the swirling figures, the explosive spray of milk, the infant Hercules's robust energy — contrasts with Tintoretto's more elongated, spiritualized figures, making the comparison instructive for understanding how Flemish Baroque transformed Italian precedents.

The dynamic composition captures the moment of revelation with characteristic Rubensian energy. The luminous flesh tones of the reclining Juno and the dramatic diagonal movement create a powerful sense of mythological spectacle.

This late work from 1637 is painted with the characteristic fluid brushwork of Rubens's final years. The painting has been conserved, with the nocturnal sky tones presenting particular challenges for cleaning. The canvas has been relined and the paint surface stabilized.