The Death of Eurydice
Peter Paul Rubens·1636
Historical Context
Painted around 1636, this mythological scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses depicts the tragic moment of Eurydice's death from a serpent bite. It belongs to a series of mythological works Rubens produced in his final years, many destined for the Torre de la Parada, Philip IV's hunting lodge near Madrid. Rubens organized his prolific output through a large Antwerp workshop, producing preparatory oil sketches translated to large-scale canvases before the master finished key passages himself. His tec...
Technical Analysis
The landscape setting is rendered with atmospheric depth characteristic of Rubens's late style, while the figures exhibit a softer, more painterly handling that marks his final period of production.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the atmospheric landscape setting rendered with Rubens's late style of loose, atmospheric brushwork.
- ◆Look at the figures exhibiting a softer, more painterly handling characteristic of his final decade's production.
- ◆Observe how Eurydice's death from the serpent bite is rendered — the moment of transition from life to myth.
- ◆The composition places the tragedy within a naturalistic landscape that contextualizes the mythological event.
- ◆Find the serpent that delivers the fatal bite — rendered as a natural creature embedded in the pastoral setting.
