Aurora and Tithonus

This 1705 Aurora and Tithonus in the Royal Collection depicts the dawn goddess in a more intimate register than Ricci's earlier treatment of the subject, focusing on the tender tragedy of Aurora's love for her immortal but ever-aging companion. Painted when Ricci was in his early fifties and at the height of his powers, it demonstrates his ability to invest mythological narrative with genuine emotional weight. The Royal Collection holds this work alongside numerous other Ricci paintings acquired during and after his London stay, making the collection one of the primary repositories of his mythological output. The subject's fusion of erotic mythology and philosophical reflection on time and loss suited the refined taste of early eighteenth-century aristocratic patrons.

The dawn sky provides a brilliant backdrop of warm color, Ricci rendering Aurora's luminous form and the golden chariot with the radiant palette that made his mythological ceiling paintings celebrated across Europe.