Paintings by Poussin and Claude give different accounts of the meeting and separation by death of King Numa and the nymph Egeria. Did she dictate to him the laws of Rome?
Poussin
A small selection of the wonderful coastal landscapes painted by Claude Lorrain or Gellée.
Troy is sacked and burning, and its women being taken away as trophies. Two stories stress the horror, as a princess is sacrificed for fair winds, and a callous murder is avenged.
Ajax and Ulysses put their claims to the Greek leaders to be given the arms and armour of Achilles, after his death. The outcome is a shock.
Admiral Lord Nelson died in similar circumstances to General Wolfe – leading his force to victory, although here at sea in the Battle of Trafalgar. Cue for a ‘modern history painting’.
West turns to a series of more classical mythological stories for his paintings between 1792 and 1802. These include Shakespeare, the Bible, and the first novel.
Two delightful and gently humorous stories, with superb paintings by Domenichino, Poussin, de Clerck (a real jewel), and Émile Lévy.
One of Ovid’s most painted stories, still popular, with some of the finest depictions by Poussin, Rubens, Corot, Watts, Scheffer, and others.
When he returned to painting in 1504, he was quick to incorporate the latest developments such as sfumato, and enhanced his landscapes from real life.
A maze of myths about shape-shifting, Neptune, and the sea leads to two wonderful but puzzling paintings.
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