Francesco Bartolozzi (Florence, 1727 - 1815, Lisbon)
The Centaur Nessus Carrying off Deianeira, 1787
Etching and aquatint on laid paper, 31.4 x 41.3 cm (12 3/8 x 16 1/4 in.)
This rectangular, reddish-brown, etching is positioned horizontally. The centaur Nessus, a mythological creature with the head and torso of a man and the flanks and legs of a horse, is placed in the center foreground. Nessus is positioned forward with his head turned slightly to our right and his gaze up to his captive, the long-haired human woman Deianeira. He has his left arm around her waist to secure her. His right arm holds a club. Nessus has a muscular body and a thick head of hair. Deianeira faces forward on her abductor’s back and has her arms splayed out in protest. She wears a wrap over her back, left shoulder, and lower body; it has slipped to reveal her right breast. Her hair falls loosely to the back. At midground, to our right at the river bank, we see the figure of Hercules, Deianeira’s husband. He is naked except for a loincloth and has a beard and long hair. He holds a bow in his left hand and notches an arrow with his right hand. His gaze appears to follow the movements of Nessus and Deianeira rather than on the task at hand. There is a hillside in the background to our left, created by outlines and shaded with multiple hatch marks.
Short Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.