Pietro Liberi (Padua 1605-1687 Venice)

The Abduction of Deianira is the climactic moment of the Legend of Hercules; Hercules saves his beautiful wife, Deianira, from the lust-driven kidnapping of the centaur Nessus, but before his death, Nessus tricks her into believing that his blood would ensure Hercules' true love forever, which will ultimately, inadvertently lead to the end of the hero’s career – not through death, but through Apotheosis, whereby Hercules joins the gods on Mount Olympus. The subject was a favourite of Baroque and later artists, inspiring Giambologna, Rubens, Guido Reni, Tiepolo amongst others.

We are grateful to Prof. Ugo Ruggeri for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs.