Ratto di Proserpina, Bernini, Galleria Borghese, Roma

All works will be signed on verso with an accompanying certificate stating title, edition number, date and signature.

Aurelio Amendola’s photograph of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s “The Rape of Proserpina” shows a cropped view of the sculpture. Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture “The Rape of Proserpina” was created between 1621 and 1622. The sculpture depicts a dramatic scene from Roman mythology where Hades (Pluto), the god of the underworld, abducts Proserpina (Persephone) to make her his queen. The sculpture captures the intense moment of abduction, with Hades gripping Proserpina while she struggles to escape, her face contorted in distress and his in determined desire. Bernini masterfully portrays the dynamic movement and emotional intensity of the scene, highlighting the physical struggle and the detailed textures of the flesh and drapery.

In this cropped image by Aurelio Amendola, Persephone is depicted in motion, captured from a three-quarter profile. Her hair and the fabric draped around her suggest movement as she is seized by Pluto. The photograph showcases Bernini’s exceptional ability to imbue marble with a sense of life, with details like the impressions of Pluto’s fingers on Persephone’s skin and the veins visible in his arm, conveying the physical exertion of the scene. Persephone’s face is the focal point, her expression conveying the anguish of being seized, with tears visibly flowing down her cheek, adding to the emotional depth of the sculpture.