il ritrovo di giasono e medea
Biagio d'Antonio·1486
Historical Context
Il Ritrovo di Giasone e Medea (The Meeting of Jason and Medea) by Biagio d'Antonio, dated 1486 and now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, depicts the mythological narrative of Jason's arrival in Colchis where Medea, daughter of the king, falls in love with him and helps him obtain the Golden Fleece. Classical narrative subjects like the Jason and Medea story were popular in Florence for painted furniture — notably cassoni (wedding chests) and spalliere (wall panels) — where mythological love stories complemented the nuptial occasion. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, adjacent to the Louvre, holds extensive collections of applied and decorative arts including painted furniture from the Italian Renaissance.
Technical Analysis
Tempera on panel in the horizontal frieze format typical of cassone painting — the mythological figures arranged processionally across a landscape or architectural setting. Biagio d'Antonio's treatment of the classical narrative would have employed the Florentine workshop's standard approach to antique costume, combining imagined Roman dress with contemporary Florentine fashion.
