Cephalus and Procris

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.