The painting by Rubens (1577-1640) on display here illustrates the Abduction of Proserpina, a myth concerning the violent actions of gods towards young women, as told by Ovid in the fifth book of Metamorphoses. The work is based on a relief from an ancient sarcophagus from the 2nd century A.D. that Rubens had seen at the collection of Scipione Borghese in Rome, perhaps even before it was placed, around 1607, on the outer wall of the ‘Casino’ at Palazzo Borghese, now Palazzo Rospigliosi. The small oil on wood painting dated between 1614 and 1615, shows Pluto in the centre on his chariot bound for the Underworld as he grasps the young Proserpina, who helplessly raises her arms in an attempt to escape his grasp. The composition derived from the ancient model echoes an earlier interpretation by Giovanni Maria Falconetto in the frescoed frieze of the Zodiac Room in Palazzo d’Arco in Mantova, executed between 1509 and 1522.
The setting of Rubens’ painting takes place outdoors and, among the characters, one can identify: Cyane, Proserpina’s companion who is depicted throwing herself behind the chariot and desperately grasping her robe in a futile attempt to hold her back; Minerva, identifiable by her helmet, shield and spear; Venus, represented in the classic pose of “Venus pudica”; and probably Diana, who, as noted by Claudian in his work The Rape of Proserpina, sought to resist the abduction of the girl.
