Arcas Hunting
- Artist: Andrea Schiavone
- Date: about 1550
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Arcas Hunting" by Andrea Schiavone. Painted in the Italian north around 1550, it's a small but striking work of art. The scene depicts Arcas, son of Jupiter and Callisto, drawing back his bow to shoot a bear that has emerged from the undergrowth. But what makes this painting so remarkable is the subtle use of gold leaf to highlight the figures and foliage, giving the entire scene a sense of warmth and light.
The story behind this painting comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses, where Arcas unknowingly shoots his mother Callisto, who had been turned into a bear by the goddess Diana. The delicacy of Schiavone's depiction belies the tragic events that unfold in the story.
This little painting was originally part of a larger piece, adorning one end of a wooden chest known as a cassone. These chests were given to brides as wedding gifts and often featured coats of arms or religious scenes. The choice of subject here may have been intended to remind the new bride to be faithful to her husband.
The quality of Schiavone's work is evident in this small painting, which must have been greatly admired even back in the 17th century, when it was displayed in a Venetian art collection.
See it in person
Arcas Hunting hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
