Ixion (Ribera) facts for kids
Ixion is a famous oil painting created in 1632 by the Spanish artist Jusepe de Ribera. It shows a scene from ancient Greek stories, where a man named Ixion is being punished forever by the god Zeus. This painting is one of a series of four artworks Ribera made, showing characters from Greek mythology who were "condemned" or punished. You can see Ixion at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. Another painting from this series, Tityos, is also there. The other two paintings, showing Sisyphus and Tantalus, are now lost.
The Story of Ixion
Ixion was a king in ancient Greek myths. He was the father of the Centaurs, who were creatures that were half-human and half-horse. Ixion was punished for a serious crime he committed. As a result, Zeus, the king of the gods, sentenced Ixion to be tied to a fiery wheel that would spin forever in Tartaros. Tartaros was a deep, dark place in the underworld, used for punishment.
Other Paintings of Punishments
Another famous artist, Titian, also painted a similar series of four artworks in the 1540s. He made them for Mary of Hungary, who was a ruler in the Netherlands. After Mary died, these paintings went to Philip II of Spain. They were displayed in a palace in Madrid. Ribera might have seen these paintings, which could have inspired his own series.
Titian's paintings of Ixion and Tantalus were lost in a big fire at the palace in 1734. However, the Prado museum still has Titian's Sisyphus and Tityus.
A writer named Joachim Sandrart mentioned in 1675 that Ribera had painted an earlier series of these "Furies" paintings. These were similar to Titian's. However, the person who ordered them, Lucas van Uffelen, didn't want them because his wife found them too scary. These original paintings by Ribera are now lost. But we know about them from copies made later, which are also at the Museo del Prado.
What the Painting Shows
In Ribera's painting, Ixion is shown lying face down. His body is twisted and his muscles are strained, showing how much pain he is in. The artist uses bright light to make Ixion's suffering stand out against a dark background. It looks like Ixion's large body is falling right towards you, the viewer.
A scary figure is shown in the bottom left corner. This figure has horns and pointed ears, looking like a satyr or a devil. This character is Ribera's own idea. In ancient Greek myths, the punishments in the underworld were usually given by female spirits called the Furies. These Furies were Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. Ribera might have been inspired by a poem called L'Adone, which was published in 1632. This poem featured a character with donkey's ears who represented greed and not knowing things. You can also see another devil-like figure hidden in the shadows on the bottom right.
This painting is quite large, measuring about 220 by 301 centimeters (about 87 by 118 inches). It was part of Ribera's series called Las Furias, which means "The Furies" in Spanish. This series also showed the tortures of Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Tityos. Only two of Ribera's series are still around today: this painting of Ixion and the painting of Tityos. Both are now kept at the Museo del Prado.
See also
In Spanish: Ixión (Ribera) para niños
