Guercino (1591-1666)
Semiramide riceve la notizia della rivolta di Babilonia (Semiramis Receiving Word of the Revolt of Babylon)
1624
Oil on canvas, 112.4 x 154.6 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Interrupted at her toilette by news of a revolt, Semiramis, the legendary queen of Assyria, demonstrated her determination as a ruler by refusing to finish combing her hair until she had led her army to crush the rebels. This depiction of the story is made lively and dramatic by the emphatic gestures and by such bold compositional devices as the off-center placement of Semiramis and the radically cropped figure of her maid at right. The painting, which once belonged to King Charles II of England, was made early in the artist’s long and prolific career. Guercino (whose nickname refers to his squint) was admired as one of the most dynamic painters of his generation. (MFA)