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Mythological Scene of Agriculture
Luca Giordano·1682
Historical Context
Mythological Scene of Agriculture at the National Gallery, London, painted in 1682, is part of a decorative series depicting mythological subjects related to human civilization. The combination of mythology and agriculture reflects Baroque interest in the divine origins of human culture. Oil on canvas suited Giordano's rapid working method: he typically laid in compositions with fluid, transparent washes then built form with loaded brushwork, completing large canvases in days. His stylistic e...
Technical Analysis
The allegorical figures are set within a landscape that combines celestial and terrestrial elements. Giordano's decorative style is well suited to this type of narrative allegory.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the allegorical figures set within a landscape combining celestial and terrestrial elements: Giordano creates the multi-level composition he uses for vision and dream subjects, here applied to a mythological allegory of agriculture.
- ◆Look at the 1682 National Gallery London provenance: this decorative series work is among the Italian Baroque paintings in Britain's national collection, acquired through centuries of collecting.
- ◆Find the relationship between mythological figures and agricultural imagery: the gods of classical civilization overseeing the agricultural cycles that sustained human life provides the scene's visual argument.
- ◆Observe that this 1682 work was painted just a decade before Giordano's Spanish departure: the London painting represents the Italian period at its fullest development, confident and decoratively assured.
