2026 Rijksmuseum exhibitions
Bernini
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classical Rome
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Homer
Horace
influences on western art
Latin poets
literature in classical Rome
Livy
poets from antiquity
poets writing in Latin
Poussin
Rembrandt
Rodin
Roman oratory
Roman poets
the classics
Titian
Virgil
Product details
- ISBN 9789493416543
- Weight: 1300g
- Dimensions: 280 x 240mm
- Publication Date: 02 Apr 2026
- Publisher: Hannibal Books
- Publication City/Country: BE
- Product Form: Paperback
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Ovid's Metamorphoses and its lasting impact on visual art
The Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses is among the most important works of Classical Antiquity, described in the seventeenth century as a ‘Bible for artists’. The compelling epic intertwines tales of chaos and the cosmos, encounters between gods, humans and nature, and the countless transformations to which they gave rise.
For centuries, artists have drawn inspiration from these highly imaginative accounts of passion, jealousy, cunning and deceit on the part of deities, heroes and ordinary mortals. The stories have been interpreted in marble and paint, and more recently in moving pictures. This book shows the immense influence that Ovid has exerted on the visual arts – from Antiquity to the present day. It presents sculptures by Cellini, Bernini, Rodin and Bourgeois alongside paintings by Titian, Correggio, Caravaggio, Arcimboldo and Rubens.
Ovid’s myths address universal human feelings, allowing them to speak as powerfully as ever to our imagination. This richly illustrated book, featuring essays by Francesca Cappelletti, Claudia Cieri Via, Bart Ramakers, Frits Scholten and Lucia Simonato, is the living proof.
This publication accompanies the exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (6 February-25 May 2026) and the Galleria Borghese, Rome (22 June-20 September 2026).
The Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses is among the most important works of Classical Antiquity, described in the seventeenth century as a ‘Bible for artists’. The compelling epic intertwines tales of chaos and the cosmos, encounters between gods, humans and nature, and the countless transformations to which they gave rise.
For centuries, artists have drawn inspiration from these highly imaginative accounts of passion, jealousy, cunning and deceit on the part of deities, heroes and ordinary mortals. The stories have been interpreted in marble and paint, and more recently in moving pictures. This book shows the immense influence that Ovid has exerted on the visual arts – from Antiquity to the present day. It presents sculptures by Cellini, Bernini, Rodin and Bourgeois alongside paintings by Titian, Correggio, Caravaggio, Arcimboldo and Rubens.
Ovid’s myths address universal human feelings, allowing them to speak as powerfully as ever to our imagination. This richly illustrated book, featuring essays by Francesca Cappelletti, Claudia Cieri Via, Bart Ramakers, Frits Scholten and Lucia Simonato, is the living proof.
This publication accompanies the exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (6 February-25 May 2026) and the Galleria Borghese, Rome (22 June-20 September 2026).
Frits Scholten is Senior Curator of Sculpture at the Rijksmuseum.
Francesca Cappelletti is an art history professor at the University of Ferrara and the director of Galleria Borghese in Rome.
Francesca Cappelletti is an art history professor at the University of Ferrara and the director of Galleria Borghese in Rome.
