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Cephalus and Procris

probably 1680s
Not on view

In his Metamorphoses, the ancient Roman poet Ovid told the story of the hunter Cephalus, who mistakes his wife Procris for his prey, fatally wounding her with his spear. In Schalcken’s version of this tragic tale, Cephalus cradles his wife in his arms as she expires on the forest floor. Recent conservation treatment has uncovered the artist’s graphic depiction of Procris’s wounds, which had been painted over at a later point in accordance with Victorian sensitivities. Alongside this realistic depiction of the body, the work displays Schalcken’s trademark attention to refined effects of illumination and luxurious textiles.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cephalus and Procris
  • Artist: Godfried Schalcken (Dutch, Made 1643–1706 The Hague)
  • Date: probably 1680s
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 25 1/2 x 31 3/8 in. (64.8 x 79.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.109
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Young Woman Seated at a Table, Holding a Candle, Godfried Schalcken Dutch, Black chalk. Framing line in pen and brown ink
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Merry Company on a Terrace, Jan Steen Dutch, Oil on canvas
Merry Company on a Terrace
Jan Steen
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Self-Portrait, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Self-Portrait
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1660
The Dissolute Household, Jan Steen Dutch, Oil on canvas
The Dissolute Household
Jan Steen
ca. 1663–64
Young Herdsmen with Cows, Aelbert Cuyp Dutch, Oil on canvas
Young Herdsmen with Cows
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