The subject of this painting is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses IX,101-134. Hercules marries Deianeira after wrestling the river-god Achelous for her hand. Later, during the couple's travels, the centaur offers his services to Hercules in transporting his wife Deianeira across a swollen river. But as Nessus moves away into the turbulent water, he tries to abduct Deianeira. Hercules detects the ruse and shoots an arrow poisoned with the blood of the Hydra into centaur's heart, mortally wounding him.
Here the painter chooses the scene of the abduction; Hercules, alone on the opposite shore in the background on the right, plays a minor role in the composition. All the attention is focused on the taught muscular tension of the centaur's body. His bold, triumphant face contrasts with Deianeira's fright. The positioning of the figures' arms imparts vigor to the scene, accentuated further by the flowing movement of the brilliantly colored drapery of Deianeira's robes.
Guido Reni was one of the 17th century's most influential painters. He worked for twelve years in Rome before becoming permanently established in Bologna in 1614. Reni was influenced by classical statuary and the work of Raphael. The vigorous treatment of the centaur's torso, as well as the anatomical detail, attest to these influences. This painting is one of a series of four works based on the life of Hercules, commissioned from Reni in 1617 and completed in 1621. The works were to illustrate the power of the famous Lombard family, by way of analogy to the mythical hero's strength and courage. The four paintings met with considerable success.
*
