Artwork Page for Story of Perseus and Andromeda

Details / Information for Story of Perseus and Andromeda

Story of Perseus and Andromeda

early 1500s

Netherlands, early 16th century

Medium
tapestry weave: wool and silk
Measurements
Overall: 320.5 x 446.8 cm (126 3/16 x 175 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1927.487
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

The Greek mythological story of Perseus and Andromeda is represented here as a quest for a maiden, read from right to left in three sections. At the upper right, Andromeda has been chained to a rock by her parents, at the lower right, as a sacrifice to a dragon sent by Poseidon, god of the sea. In the center on a millefleur (floral) ground, Perseus on horseback kills the dreaded dragon. Within the castle at the left, Perseus kneels before an altar, and at the far left, he marries Andromeda.
A horizontally oriented tapestry in muted reds, blues, and browns, depicts people with light skin tones. On the upper right, a blonde nude woman is shackled to a rock while ornately dressed people gather in the lower right. A dragon rises out of the sea in front of her. At the center, a man wearing armor on a white horse drives a lance into the dragon's mouth. To the left, the man and woman face each other, grasping the other's hand and surrounded by onlookers.

Story of Perseus and Andromeda

early 1500s

Netherlands, early 16th century

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