User:Millerk55/The Origin of the Milky Way

The Origin of the Milky Way is a painting by the Italian late Renaissance master Jacopo Tintoretto. Completed between 1575-1580, it is an oil painting on canvas depicting the Greek myth of the creation of the Milky Way.

Background

Millerk55/The Origin of the Milky Way
Artist	Tintoretto
Year	ca. 1575–1580
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	148 cm × 165 cm (58 in × 65 in)
Location	National Gallery, London

The circumstances of the commission for the Origin of the Milky Way remain undocumented, but the work appeared in the court of Rudolph II. According to the consensus of scholars, Tommaso Rangone, a Venetian physician and member of the court, either commissioned the work for himself and gave it to Rudolph II after his death, or Rangone played an intermediary role in connecting Tintoretto with Rudolph II. The work's subject matter suited both Rudolph and Rangone’s personalities, as well as court society at the time. The work plays upon the viewer's knowledge of classical mythology as well as scientific fields such as astrology and botany, alluding to Hera’s breastmilk creating both the Milky Way and lilies. The work also had an erotic subtext, especially before the removal of a reclining female nude that originally appeared at the bottom of the composition.

It is commonly believed that Tintoretto took inspiration for his subject matter from a Byzantine textbook on botany called the Geoponica. This book discussed the story of the lily flower, which was said to originate from the spilling of Hera’s breastmilk while feeding Hercules. An Italian translation of this book was published in Venice in 1549, around the time the work was created.

Context

Domenico Tintoretto, pen and bistre washed with bistre, 35.6 by 25.2 cm

Jacob Hofnagel, pen and brown ink washed with brown, 20.9 by 15 cm (print room, Berlin)

The work depicts the story of Zeus bringing his illegitimate son Hercules to breastfeed from his wife, Hera. Hercules was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene; Zeus had transformed himself into the form of Alcmene's husband to trick her into having intercourse with him. Because Alcmene was a mortal woman, Hercules was born mortal as well. To make Hercules immortal, Zeus held him to the breast of Hera, allowing him to breastfeed from her. Hera is seen waking from her sleep, jostling Hercules, and spilling breast milk into the sky from her right breast, creating the Milky Way, and onto the floor from her left breast, creating the lily flower. Surrounding the couple and child, putti fly around with arrows, torches, and a net.

After this episode, not only did Hercules become immortal, but Hera adopted Hercules as her stepson, albeit unwillingly. Breastfeeding has been known to help mother and child connect and form a kinship. Additionally, it has been a way to symbolize adoption or a bond. Though there is a lack of understanding around the Greek adoption process, it is clear that as Hercules breastfed from Hera, he became part of the Olympic family in gaining immortality, starting his destiny as a prolific demigod and later a god. Giuliana Petrucci summarizes this point, stating, "I would place particular emphasis on breastfeeding as a means to create kinships. We must always keep in mind breast milk's proprieties: according to the ancients: breastmilk, being blood, was a vehicle of values, vigor, and moral principles being siphoned into the baby's body-mind, in addition to the genetic characteristics it passed on."

The bottom portion of this work was removed sometime after its creation. However, two drawings of the work have survived, indicating that the bottom third of the work depicted lilies sprouting up from the earth and Gaea, mother of the earth, reclining nude on the grass.

Analysis

Foreshortening and composition

The figures in the painting are foreshortened, connecting the immediate foreground with the sky in the background. The foreshortening of Hera's leg makes it appear disproportionate to the rest of her body. Tintoretto directs the viewer's eyes upward from the putti at the bottom, up through the leg of Hera, to Hercules breastfeeding, to either her elaborate bedpost or to Zeus. Though there are some clouds seen in the background, the use of clouds in the foreground at the bottom and top of the work, supporting Hera’s bed, firmly roots this scene in the foreground.

Color

The work features vibrant color. Rich yellows, blues, and reds, all made from expensive pigments, create this sense of grandiosity and opulence. This bright use of color can be seen in the wings of the putti, which have shades of pink, blue, and green all interacting together. The use of such vibrant color not only reflects the expensive taste of the commissioner of the work, but also reflects the Venetian painting style, which used vibrant and bold colors.

Symbolism

Throughout the work, symbols reinforce the narrative. Below Zeus, an eagle holds a lightning bolt, representing the god above. Additionally, two peacocks can be seen on the right-hand side of the painting, representing Hera. The bows, arrows, blindfold, torch, and net all emphasize the underlying theme of love and deceit, as Zeus had to trick Hera into allowing Hercules to breastfeed from her.

Chiaroscuro

Some chiaroscuro can be seen in the musculature of the forms, specifically Hera and Zeus. The dark-to-light shading on Hera's thigh creates a softness, and the shading on Zeus's musculature creates a dramatic depiction of the god.

Dynamism

The frequent use of diagonal lines and the depiction of the figures in motion creates a sense of dynamism. There are few horizontal lines; even the bed slopes downward from the left to the right side of the painting. Additionally, the foreshortening of the figures accentuates the feeling of movement. Joyce Plesters summarizes this dynamism by stating, "Tintoretto, who has an unfailing instinct for the psychological moment in any drama, captures it here and the whole composition seems to be exploding like a Catherine wheel in a whirl of shooting stars, radiating limbs and swirling draperies."

Additionally, Mannerist traits can be seen in this work in its artificial composition and the theatrical nature of the forms. The composition is not something realistic or natural, instead being comprised of swooping and twisting forms suspended in the sky. This can be seen in Hera, who is simultaneously bending down and turning her face and body up towards the baby on her breast and her husband. It feels as though Tintoretto suspended time and space in this work, capturing a moment. These forms are highly theatrical as they are all frozen in various states of reaching, turning, and grappling. This artificial and mannerist style of painting would have been favored at Rudolph’s court.

References

1. Tintoretto, Jacopo. “Jacopo Tintoretto, the Origin of the Milky Way.” Jacopo Tintoretto | The Origin of the Milky Way | NG1313 | National Gallery, London. Accessed April 12, 2024. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-the-origin-of-the-milky-way.
2. Nichols, Tom. Tintoretto: Tradition and identity. London: Reaktion Books, 1999.
3. Plesters, Joyce. “Tintoretto’s Paintings in the National Gallery.” National Gallery Technical Bulletin 3 (1979): 3–24. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42615978.
4. Mandowsky, Erna. “The Origin of the Milky Way in the National Gallery.” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 72, no. 419 (1938): 88–93. http://www.jstor.org/stable/867195.
5. Krol, Kathleen M., and Tobias Grossmann. "Psychological Effects of Breastfeeding on Children and Mothers." Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz 61, no. 8 (2018): 977-985. Accessed March 2, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0.
6. Pedrucci, Giulia. "MOTHERHOOD, BREASTFEEDING AND ADOPTION: THE CASE OF HERA SUCKLING HERACLES." Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 57 -3, no. 2 (2017): 311+. Gale Academic OneFile (accessed April 12, 2024). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A536929197/AONE?u=tel_oweb&sid=googleScholar&xid=c68a34bc
7. “Tintoretto, the Origin of the Milky Way (Video).” Khan Academy. Accessed April 12, 2024. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/late-renaissance-venice/v/jacopo-tintoretto-the-origin-of-the-milky-way-c-1575.

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