Meleager and Atalante Poster

Peter Paul Rubens’ Meleager and Atalante (circa 1635) is a Baroque oil on canvas painting depicting a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The work illustrates the mythological hunt of the Calydonian boar, where Meleager, the hero, presents the boar’s head to Atalante, the skilled huntress with whom he has fallen in love. The painting captures the moment of intimate exchange, with a snake-haired Fury in the background symbolising the tragic consequences that will follow. Rubens’ composition includes lush landscapes and a broad panorama, inspired by classical reliefs and drawings by Giulio Romano. The figures are robust and fleshy, painted with dynamic brushwork and rich colours characteristic of Rubens’ late style. This painting was part of Rubens’ personal collection until his death and is now housed in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.