Often the subject of artistic endeavour, the Rape of Proserpina by 16th-century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini is nonetheless distinct in its uniquely sympathetic depiction of Proserpina’s plight. Proserpina, by various accounts the goddess of springtime and fertility in Greek and Roman mythology, is abducted by Pluto, god of the underworld. Proserpina’s desperation to escape is amply evident in her bodily attitude, but closer examination of the sculpture shows the terror on her face as well, where Bernini has taken care to fashion tears.

Image Credits:
Feature: After Gianlorenzo Bernini at Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
Body: Gian Lorenzo Bernini at Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons, some rights reserved