Metamorphoses: Ovidius and the Arts

The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid, one of the most important works of classical antiquity, was called an "artist's Bible" in the 17th century. The captivating epic interweaves stories of chaos and the cosmos, encounters between gods, humans, and nature, and numerous resulting transformations.

For centuries, artists have found inspiration in these imaginative tales of passion, jealousy, cunning, and deceit, portrayed by gods, heroes, and mere mortals. Their interpretations were expressed in marble and paint, as well as in moving images. This publication demonstrates Ovid's enormous influence on the visual arts, from antiquity to the present day. Sculptures by Cellini, Bernini, Rodin, and Bourgeois are displayed alongside paintings by Titian, Correggio, Caravaggio, Arcimboldo, and Rubens.

Ovid's myths explore universal human feelings and therefore continue to capture our imaginations. This richly illustrated book, with essays by Francesca Cappelletti, Claudia Cieri Via, Bart Ramakers, Frits Scholten, and Lucia Simonato, is living proof of this.