The Rape of Proserpina (Rembrandt)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Rape of Proserpina is an oil painting on wood (84.5 x 79.5 cm) made in 1632 by Dutch painter Rembrandt.
It is preserved in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.
It depicts Persephone, daughter of Ceres, kidnapped by Pluto, god of the underworld, who fell in love with her. He emerges from the grave in a cave located near Lake Pergusa Enna, where Proserpine according to myth was picking flowers. The scene depicted is very strong: the god has seized the girl in his chariot, while the girls that attended are desperately trying to hold on to her. Proserpine struggles, but now the horses are already crossing the threshold of the realm of the dead.
The drama of the scene is highlighted by the light, which divides the picture: on the left, the world of the living, right, the darkness of Hades.
