The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Jason and the Dragon

Jason and the Dragon

c. 1663
(Italian, 1615–1673)
Sheet: 39.1 x 23.7 cm (15 3/8 x 9 5/16 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Bartsch XX.275.18 ; Wallance 118
Location: not on view

Description

Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece required him to bypass a fearsome dragon, which he was able to do with a sleeping potion given to him by the witch Medea. Salvatore Rosa selected classical narratives to prove he was a great and learned painter of histories, and he showcased the novelty of being among the first 16th- or 17th-century artists to portray this particular story. Rosa turned the ancient epic into a moody struggle by transmitting the mystery and magic of his earlier witchcraft imagery. Utilizing the energetic and spontaneous qualities of his draftsmanship, the violence of Jason's feat is emphasized by a claustrophobic and savage environment of crags and "blasted" trees that frames the dynamic diagonals of the hero and recoiling dragon.
  • Langdon, Helen. Salvator Rosa Paint and Performance. London: Reaktion Books, Limited, 2022. pp.149-154. Chapter 4
  • The Novel and the Bizarre: Salvator Rosa's Scenes of Witchcraft. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 15-June 14, 2015).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (2/15/2015 - 6/14/2015); "The Novel and the Bizarre: Salvator Rosa's Scenes of Witchcraft"
    Baroque Imagery. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 6, 1984-January 6, 1985).
    Year in Review: 1967. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29-December 31, 1967).
  • {{cite web|title=Jason and the Dragon|url=false|author=Salvator Rosa|year=c. 1663|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1966.730