“Perseus and Andromeda” by Titian

“Perseus and Andromeda” by Titian dramatically depict the Greek mythological story of Andromeda. Perseus is portrayed as attacking the sea monster, who turns to attack the hero, while Andromeda’s white body is contrasted against the dark undercliff and portrayed as pure innocence.

In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of the Ethiopian King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. Queen Cassiopeia was beautiful, but the vain and her hubris led her to boast that Andromeda is more beautiful than the sea nymphs. The sea nymphs were the daughters of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and when the nymphs heard of her claims, they protested to their father. In retaliated Poseidon calling up a sea monster to wreak havoc on Ethiopia, placing the kingdom at risk. In response, the Queen, together with the King, decided to sacrifice her daughter, Princess Andromeda, to the monster.

Andromeda was chained to a coastal rock as an offering to the monster. Fortunately, Perseus was traveling home on his winged horse, Pegasus, after battling with Medusa. He rescued Andromeda by killing the beast. The couple fell in love, but the Princess was already betrothed to Phineus. Perseus argued with Phineus at the wedding, but the fight was drawn to a conclusion when Phineus was turned to stone after Perseus brandished the head of Medusa.

Titian was the most famous painter of the 16th-century Venetian school. So much so that his contemporaries recognized him as “The Sun Amidst Small Stars,” recalling the famous final line of Dante’s Paradiso. Titian was one of the most accomplished painters, adept with portraits, landscapes, and mythological and religious subjects. His application and use of color, his vivid, luminous tints, his brushwork, and subtlety of tone had a profound influence on Western art.

Perseus and Andromeda

Title: Perseus and Andromeda
Artist: Titian
Created: 1556
Media: Oil paint
Dimensions: 175 × 189.5 cm (68.9 × 74.6 in)
Museum: Wallace Collection

Titian

Name: Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio
Known as: Titian
Born: c. 1488-1490 – Pieve di Cadore, Republic of Venice
Died: 1576 (aged about 88) – Venice, Italy
Notable Works:
- Bacchus and Ariadne
- The Rape of Europa
- Perseus and Andromeda

Explore the Wallace Collection

“The Laughing Cavalier” by Frans Hals
“A Dance to the Music of Time” by Nicolas Poussin
“Perseus and Andromeda” by Titian

Exploring Perseus

“Perseus and Andromeda” by Joachim Wtewael
“Perseus and Andromeda” by Giuseppe Cesari
“Perseus and Andromeda” by Titian
“Perseus and Andromeda” by Frederic Leighton
“Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Antonio Canova

A Tour of London Museums

The British Museum
The National Gallery, London
Tate Britain
The Wallace Collection
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Courtauld Gallery
Tate Modern, London
Science Museum, London
National Portrait Gallery, London
Natural History Museum
Charles Dickens Museum
Hampton Court Palace
Sherlock Holmes Museum
British Library
Imperial War Museum

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“The painter must always seek the essence of things, always represent the essential characteristics and emotions of the person he is painting.”
– Titian

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Photo Credit:1)Titian [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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