Tityos (Ribera) facts for kids
The painting Tityos was created in 1632 by the artist Jusepe de Ribera. It shows the giant Tityos being punished. This painting was one of a set of four artworks. Each painting showed a different mythological figure being tortured. The other three paintings were about Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Ixion. Today, only the paintings of Tityos and Ixion still exist. Both of them are kept at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.
We don't know for sure who asked Ribera to paint this series. But because the paintings are very large and show rebels being punished, it's likely a king or a very important person ordered them. In 1634, a man named Jerónimo de Villanueva bought the set of four paintings. He bought them for the Buen Retiro Palace, which was a royal palace. The paintings stayed there until the 1700s.
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About the Painting "Tityos"
This painting shows the terrible punishment of Tityos. In Greek mythology, Tityos was a giant. He tried to harm the goddess Leto. Because of this, the god Zeus punished him severely. Tityos was chained to a rock. Every day, a vulture would come and eat his liver. His liver would then grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day. Ribera's painting captures this moment of endless pain.
Who Was Tityos?
Tityos was a giant in ancient Greek myths. He was the son of Zeus and Elara. He was known for his huge size and strength. His story is a warning about respecting the gods. His punishment was one of the most famous in Greek mythology. It showed how powerful the gods were.
The Artist: Jusepe de Ribera
Jusepe de Ribera was a famous Spanish painter. He lived from 1591 to 1652. He spent most of his life working in Italy. He was known for his dramatic and realistic paintings. Many of his artworks showed religious scenes or figures from mythology. He often used strong contrasts between light and shadow. This made his paintings very powerful and emotional.
The Series of Torture Paintings
Ribera painted four large artworks. They all showed mythological figures being tortured. These figures were Tityos, Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Ixion. Each of them had defied the gods in some way.
- Sisyphus was forced to roll a huge boulder up a hill forever. It would always roll back down before he reached the top.
- Tantalus was made to stand in water under a fruit tree. But he could never drink the water or eat the fruit.
- Ixion was tied to a flaming, spinning wheel for eternity.
These paintings were meant to show the consequences of going against authority.
Where to See It?
Today, the painting Tityos is a very important artwork. You can see it at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. The Prado Museum is one of the most famous art museums in the world. It has many masterpieces by Spanish and European artists.
See also
In Spanish: Ticio (Ribera) para niños
Sources
- Prado Museum: Tityos
