Callisto raises her arm in horror as her companion nymphs reveal her pregnant form to the goddess Diana, on the left. Callisto had been seduced by Jupiter. As a result, Diana, goddess of the moon, hunting and chastity, banished her from her realm. The ample female figures are characteristic of Jordaens?s nudes. The drawing corresponds quite closely to a rectangular oil painting of the subject which Jordaens made in about 1640 (Private Collection).
Jacob Jordaens (Flemish, 1593 - 1678)
After Rubens?s death in 1640, Jordaens succeeded him as the leading artist in Antwerp. Jordaens had collaborated with Rubens as an independent assistant on several projects, and they shared the same master in Antwerp, Adam van Noort. Jordaens married Van Noort?s daughter in 1616. His paintings included religious, historical and mythological subjects, as well as portraits and depictions of popular proverbs. He also designed tapestries and produced many fine drawings. From 1621, Jordaens was dean of the painters? guild and took on the first of his numerous pupils. With inherited wealth, he purchased and renovated a large house in Antwerp, decorating it with his own paintings.
