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Arianna abbandonata da Teseo sull'isola di Nasso Siena
Artist: Girolamo del Pacchia
Year: 1520 circa
Current location: Collezione Chigi Saracini
DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION
Tempera on panel, 65 x 127 cm.
This relatively modest work by Girolamo del Pacchia is likely a decorative element from a wedding chest.
It is a perfect illustration of the legend of Ariadne abandoned by Theseus during a stop on the island of Naxos while sailing to Athens, fleeing Crete, where the hero, having defeated the Minotaur with Ariadne's help, had incurred the wrath of Minos.
Numerous works of art have retold the legend, and although the narrative does not dwell on it, they make Ariadne's desperation the fulcrum of their plot.
In this case, Ariadne's grief upon awakening, to discover that she has been abandoned by her beloved, should be short-lived: as Theseus's ship sails away in the storm, her gaze is already averted, and in the sky that seems to be brightening on the horizon, Dionysus appears on a chariot adorned with vines and bunches of grapes, drawn by panthers.
The rest of the story, which can be guessed, is found in the books.
Arianna abbandonata da Teseo sull'isola di Nasso