Image from  Rape of Prosepina

The Rape of Proserpina, crafted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an Italian artist in the early 1600s, tells the tale of the abduction of a young girl named Proserpina. In Roman mythology, the story begins with the god Pluto, ruler of the underworld, consumed by a burning desire for a companion. At odds with his brother Jupiter, the two eventually settle their differences through an exchange.

Proserpina, the daughter of Jupiter and niece of Pluto, is given to him in this arrangement, promised as both his wife and the queen of the underworld. In Roman mythology, the word “rape,” from the Latin raptus, meaning “abduction,” points directly to the moment of such exchange.  

Bernini captures the kidnapping in a radical and visceral way. The depth of Pluto’s fingers pressing into Proserpina’s upper thigh and the pivotal curve of her back—arched in resistance—brings to life his desperate, unrelenting desire for companionship. Bernini masterfully conveys both the intimacy and the violence of the scene. Pluto is caught mid-leap in the act of abduction, while a very active Cerberus stands behind him, ready to block any escape.

To this day, the sculpture remains one of the most invaluable works in all of Rome. Bernini being only 23 at the time created beyond dramatic nuance, he created a intmatie and well detailed sculpture of the weaves in the mythology of the rotating seasons, for with Proserpina’s abduction came the cycle of spring and winter.

Image Credits: 

Feature Image: Gian Lorenzo Bernini on  Wiki Media