Scuola neoclassico (XVIII) - Ebe e Giove

Neoclassical artist, 18th century
Ebe and Giove
Oil painting on table, 33 x 24 cm
With cornice, 45 cm x 36 cm

The artwork under examination, an oil on panel set within an ornate gilded frame, likely dates from the late 18th century from an art-historical perspective, a period when neoclassical aesthetics were dominant and themes drawn from Greco-Roman mythology enjoyed great popularity, especially among the upper bourgeoisie and nobility. At the center of the composition, enclosed within a sort of oval frame, is depicted Ebe, the Greek goddess of youth (Juventas for the Romans), daughter of Zeus and Hera, chosen cupbearer of the gods on Mount Olympus. Mentioned several times in Homeric poems and by Hesiod in his Theogony, she was succeeded by the young Trojan prince Ganymede. The deity is portrayed here as a young semi-nude girl with long, golden hair flowing in the wind; delicately seated on a soft cloud, symbolizing her celestial dwelling in Olympus, she slightly twists her head and torso, from which a fine pink drapery slips, adding color, vitality, and dynamism to the scene. The partial or total nudity of the deity was a common device in mythological painting, especially in the Rococo and Neoclassical periods, serving to enhance her beauty and purity. Next to her, on the left, is a lavishly decorated golden urn, a specific attribute of her role: as the cupbearer of the gods, Ebe was responsible for serving nectar and ambrosia, the drink that conferred immortality and eternal youth. The other main figure in the scene is Jupiter, king of the gods, who here does not appear in his anthropomorphic form but in his traditional and powerful disguise: the eagle. The bird, with dark plumage and majestic stance with wings spread, is positioned on the right, in an attitude suggesting it is about to receive the nectar. This iconography, in which Ebe offers the divine beverage to Jupiter-Eagle, was particularly favored in Neoclassicism, as it allowed the union of feminine grace and sensuality, embodied by the young goddess, with the power and sovereignty of the male ruler of Olympus. The most famous cultural reference for this subject is undoubtedly the sculptor Antonio Canova (1757–1822), who infused a flowing movement and an ethereal lightness into the two marble versions preserved at the Alte Nationalmuseum in Berlin and the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. Canova captured the image of Ebe as the ideal of moral and physical beauty of the neoclassical style, characterized by absolute formal purity (puritas) and an expression of serene composure. The widespread admiration for his works exponentially increased interest in the myth and directly influenced painters working on the same theme. In the panel presented here, the artist depicts the protagonists with great attention to anatomical harmony and idealization, applying the principles of beauty and proportion established by the rediscovery of classical art. The use of light is carefully studied to highlight the central figure, creating a soft effect on the clouds and the goddess’s skin. The contrast between terrestrial elements, such as the golden cup, and celestial ones, like the cloud and the eagle, further reinforces the mythological nature of the scene.

The frame is provided as a gift, therefore it cannot be grounds for return or complaint.

For paintings purchased abroad: after payment, the procedure to obtain the export license (ALC) will be initiated. All antiquities sent abroad from Italy require this document, issued by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The process may take from 3 to 5 weeks from the request, so as soon as we have the document, the painting will be shipped.