The Rape of Proserpina

This is the story of the Rape of Proserpina from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. Pluto, god of the Underworld, saw Proserpina, daughter of Ceres, goddess of grain and agriculture, gathering flowers in a field and was seized by love and lust. He captured the young maiden on his chariot and opened a giant chasm in the earth to carry her to the Underworld. Scolari depicts the abduction as a noisy, violent spectacle. The beautiful naked maiden appears in the upper left corner helplessly struggling against the strength of Pluto, while the violent descent of Pluto’s horses into the flames of Hades takes center stage. Giuseppe Scolari was a successful painter and printmaker, but none of his paintings are extant. His fame rests entirely on his nine surviving woodcuts, which are distinguished for their technical innovation, rich pictorial qualities, and theatrical compositions.