1349 - PETER PAUL RUBENS

PETER PAUL RUBENS (and workshop) in collaboration with THEODOOR VAN THULDEN (1606–1669) Atalanta and Meleager Oil on canvas, 127.5 x 127.5 cm This painting, of exceptional artistic quality, depicts the mythological episode of Meleager offering Atalanta the head of the Calydonian boar, the trophy of the famous hunt recounted in Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. At the center of the composition, Atalanta is portrayed with her bosom bare, wrapped in a white and purple drape fastened by a jeweled brooch, as she gazes intently at the young hunter to her right—who is also bare-chested and wrapped in a blue cloak—as he presents her with the prey. Behind the couple, a companion blows a hunting horn, while a bearded figure emerges from the dark background, helping to create a sense of crowding and excitement typical of Baroque hunting scenes. In the foreground, the boar’s head—rendered with great naturalistic effectiveness—occupies a large portion of the pictorial space, emphasizing the hunting theme of the scene. The fleshy and luminous rendering of the figures, the tight compositional framing, and the warm color palette—featuring rosy skin tones and boldly colored fabrics—are consistent with the Flemish Baroque painting style of the early 17th century. The best-known version of this painting (approximately 1635) is housed at the Prado Museum in Madrid, while a famous autograph or study copy with slight variations is preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This version is a replica from Rubens’s workshop, in this case likely created in collaboration with Theodoor van Thulden, his direct pupil. Bibliography: See M. Jaffé, *Rubens*, Milan 1989 McGrath, *Corpus Rubenianus Ludwig Burchard. Rubens. Subjects from History*, Harvey Miller Publishers, 1997.