Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2017.

Prometheus

Artist Giovanni Battista Langetti and Workshop (Italian, 1625 - 1676)

CultureItalian

Date1650-1676

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsOverall: 66 3/4 x 74 in. (169.5 x 188 cm)
Overall, Frame: 73 3/4 x 81 in. (187.3 x 205.7 cm)

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.548

On View

Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 205

Label TextGiovanni Battista Langetti depicts the Greek titan Prometheus at his most vulnerable, enduring punishment for gifting fire to humanity. An eagle sent by Zeus devours the immortal’s liver, which regrows each night to be eaten again the next day. Langetti studied in Venice, developing a style that utilizes dramatic expressions to draw in the viewer. His works often feature figures from Classical mythology, showcasing his mastery of the human form, as seen here in his focus on Prometheus’ musculature.ProvenanceAcquired by Walter Chrysler in 1968 from Central Picture Galleries in New YorkExhibition HistoryOn view in the galleries in 1978 with other "treasures from storage"