Francesco Zuccarelli, A Landscape with the Story of Cadmus Killing the Dragon exhibited 1765
Summary
The subject of this painting is taken from Book III of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Cadmus, the mythological founder of Thebes and brother of Europa, while on his journey to Thebes is called upon to overcome a dragon sacred to Mars. The serpent, which dwells in a cave beside a spring in the primeval forest, destroys the hero's companions when they come to collect spring water. Protected by a lion-skin and armed with a javelin, Cadmus first throws a massive boulder at the dragon, then backs it against an oak tree and spears it to death… (read more)
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