2. Hero and Leander

Art Gallery of Ontario

2 Hero and Leander, c. 1604, Yale University Art Gallery NARRATOR: Surrounded by sea-nymphs, a young man’s body floats on the dark waves. It’s Leander, who, in Greek mythology, fell in love with Hero, a young priestess. Every night, she lit a lamp in her tower across a narrow stretch of sea, and Leander would swim to her. But one evening, after stormy winds blew out the lamp, Leander lost his way and drowned. To the right, Hero, dressed in red, plunges to her death after seeing her lover die. The painting reveals Rubens’s intense study of classical literature – begun during his education at Latin school in Antwerp, and deepened during his time in Italy. KIRK NICKEL: The story of Hero and Leander is developed first by Ovid and then is elaborated on by other ancient authors, and Rubens draws from those versions to create a single scene that combines both deaths. Whoever the painting was made for, very likely would have displayed it among other mythological scenes where they could discuss with friends the story being shown, and how clever Rubens has been in bringing the two deaths together in this one tragic moment.