Friday, February 12, 2016

TFBT: Rubens' Abductions



Recently, an active member at Hour 25  suggested I do a quiz based on some of Rubens' works at the Prado.  The Prado kindly allows reproduction of their works for scholarly discussion.  (I hope my readers will kindly consider this an scholarly offering.)  Here we go.

 

Prado #P01658 Rubens The Abuction of Hippodamia 1636 - 1637 "At another marriage, when Pirithous was taking Hippodamia, daughter of Adrastus, Centauri, full of wine, attempted to carry off the wives of the Lapithae. The Centauri killed many of them, but by them perished."             Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 33 :




Prado #P01693 Rubens  The Abduction of Europa 1628– 1629  “Telephassa, (bore) a daughter Europa and three sons…Zeus loved (Europa) and turning himself into a tame bull, he mounted her on his back and conveyed her through the sea to Crete. There Zeus bedded with her, and she bore” (three sons)                              Apollodorus, The Library 3.1.1





Prado #P01679. Rubens. The Abduction of Ganymede. 1636 – 1638   "Tros, who was lord of the Trojans, and to Tros in turn there were born three sons unfaulted, Ilus and Assaracus and godlike Ganymedes who was the loveliest born of the race of mortals, and therefore the gods caught him away to themselves, to be Zeus' wine-pourer, for the sake of his beauty, so he might be among the immortals." Homer, Iliad 20. 232



Prado# P01659. Rubens, The Abduction of Persephone 1636 – 1637,"[Demeter's] trim-ankled daughter whom Hades rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer. Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword and glorious fruits, she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus (Athena, Artemis) and gathering flowers over a soft meadow,” Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 

So there are four of Rubens’ masterpieces and the words that inspired them.  Now here is the quiz.  Good luck!  testmoz.com/661115