The Rape of Proserpina
2023 © Maxim Tabachnik
Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix
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Adoration of the ChildDavidApollo and DaphneThe Council of the GodsSaint Jerome WritingAeneas, Anchises, and AscaniusThe EntombmentYoung Sick BacchusDavid with the Head of GoliathApollo and Daphne with The Apotheosis of RomulusMadonna and Child with St AnneRoman Civilization and the Heroic Virtue of HonorBoy with a Basket of FruitSacred and Profane LoveMax Amid Roman EchoesThe Apotheosis of RomulusTruth Unveiled by TimeBust of Cardinal Scipione BorgheseYoung Woman with a UnicornHistoric Gardens of Villa BorgheseAtlantes and DeitiesMax aming Berninis and CaravaggiosPope Paul V BorghesePope Paul VMax Contemplates Bernini’s Pluto and ProserpinaVenus Blindfolding CupidFireplace

The Rape of ProserpinaBernini

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Seen from behind, Bernini’s dynamic spiral composition (1621–22) reveals Pluto’s muscular tension as he ascends with Proserpina. The twisting bodies and sweeping drapery convey physical force and emotional turmoil. Cerberus crouches below, chained yet alert, guarding the threshold to the underworld.