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.
Tapestry depicting the story of Perseus and Andromeda in muted reds, blues, and browns, all people with light skin tones. On the upper right, Andromeda, a blonde woman, is shackled nude to a rock while ornately dressed people gather in the lower right. A dragon rises out of the sea in front of her, Perseus wearing armor on a white horse and driving a lance into the monster's mouth. Within a castle on the left, Perseus, face and chin-length brown hair now showing, kneels facing the scene on our right, while, behind him, he and Andromeda face each other, grasping the other's hand in marriage.

Story of Perseus and Andromeda

early 1500s

Netherlands, early 16th century

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