ARTWORK:
Jupiter et Sémélé – Jupiter and Semele (17th century) “Oil on canvas, 160 x 96 cm” [private collection] — François Perrier (French; 1594 – 1649)
The primary source for the painting is Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Semele, daughter of the king of Thebes, was one of the many lovers of Zeus/Jupiter. From their union was born Dionysus/Bacchus.
François Perrier, born in Pontarlier around 1594 and died in Paris on November 2, 1649, was a painter and engraver from Franche-Comté. Active in Italy, Lyon and Paris, he was one of the co-founders of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.
