Orpheus Enchants the Animals, 1700s, Oil on Panel, Framed

Oil on panel. 18th-century Northern European School. The horizontally arranged scene depicts the myth of Orpheus, son of Apollo, who received a lyre from his father with which he tamed wild animals, moved rocks, and bent trees. The tale is known from Virgil's Georgics and Ovid's Metamorphoses: a symbol of the civilizing power of art, it is a popular subject in European art. Orpheus is depicted in the center, sitting on a rock among trees, playing the lyre. On the sides are numerous animals of various breeds coming toward him, from natural environments near and far, including exotic animals (an elf, lions, a llama, etc.), and, on the right edge, a fantastical beast, the unicorn. In the background is a stream with a city on the shore; on the left, on the hill, a small temple, probably dedicated to the god Apollo. The painting has been restored in the past. It is presented in a period gilded frame.