Tip: move over the painting to use the lens.
The Battle between the Gods and the Giants
Joachim Antonisz. Wtewael · c. 1608
- Artist
- Joachim Antonisz. Wtewael (Dutch, c. 1566–1638)
- Date
- c. 1608
- Medium
- Oil on copper
- Size
- 15.6 × 20.3 cm (6 1/8 × 8 in.); Framed: 24.1 × 27.3 × 3.5 cm (9 1/2 × 10 3/4 × 1 3/8 in.)
- Made in
- Netherlands
- Style
- 17th Century
- Where to see it
- Art Institute of Chicago
Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Fund · CC0 Public Domain · Art Institute of Chicago · image via Wikimedia Commons · see it at the museum ↗
Notes from the museum
The subject of the victory of the gods of Olympus over the ancient race of giants provided Joachim Wtewael with the opportunity to depict exaggerated athletic poses and striking contrasts of space and light. From the clouds, the Olympian gods wield their attributes as weapons: Jupiter hurls thunderbolts; Neptune brandishes his triton; and Mercury uses his caduceus as a spear. The helmeted figure on the right is Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and war. The painting's gemlike effect results from the use of a copper support and from its small scale. The artist's self-conscious display of his skills was a hallmark of the international style known as Mannerism, which was fashionable in Holland around 1600.
Text: Art Institute of Chicago (open access). Our full story for this work is coming soon.
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