Procris and Cephalus

Nesselthaler (1748–1821) drew inspiration from Ovid (Metamorphoses VII, 687–756, 794–862) in the hunting episode of Procris and Cephalus. The story tells of marital fidelity, jealousy and a passion for hunting; here the dramatic ending is rendered most undramatically in the foreground, set in a peaceful Arcadian landscape. The dominant feature is the tree against which the dying Procris is leaning. Cephalus is drawing his unerring spear from the fatal wound. Turn-of-the-century classicism is evident in the archaising features of the protagonists. The trees in the right-hand middle ground look like pines – probably a reminiscence of the time the artist spent in Italy.

DUCKE Astrid: Andreas Nesselthaler, Procris and Cephalus, object description for the exhibition "Natur wird Bild. Österreichische Barocklandschaften" (30.7.2021-31.1.2022)
Translation: Gail Schamberger MA, Salzburg