Boreas Abducting Oreithyia

This painting depicts an episode from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In Greek mythology Boreas is the ruler of the north wind. He is old and has flowing grey locks and wings. He loved Oreithyia, the daughter of a legendary king of Athens and, against her will, carried her off to be his bride (Met. 6:692-722). He is shown flying away with the naked girl clasped firmly in his hands. Putti are present playing with snowballs.

In Rubens’s representation, the bodies fill the picture from one side to the other leaving no space for a sense of motion and flying.