Jun 17
Erminia and the Shepherds
Artist: Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) (Italian, 1591-1666)
Date: c. 1648–1849
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Description
This scene is from Torquato Tasso’s popular epic poem "Jerusalem Delivered" (1581). The story is set during the First Crusade (1096–99), when Christian warriors laid siege to Jerusalem, then under Muslim rule. Here, the Muslim princess Erminia, disguised in armor, has fled Jerusalem. Escaping to the forest, she comes upon a shepherd and his sons making baskets. They are startled, but she removes her helmet to calm their fears, and they give her shelter.
#literary painting#literary scene#torquato tasso#jerusalem delivered#epic poetry#literature#first crusade#muslin princess erminia#landscape#distuise#forest#outdoor scene#shepherd#father#sons#baskets#armor#helmet#animals#shepherds#trees#mountains#architecture#man#woman#young men#painting#italian baroque art#oil on canvas#fine art