Death of Procrida

The picture shows a half-naked young woman with bleeding wounds, lying among grass and flowers. A faun leaned over her, and a large hunting dog, Lelap , sits at the woman’s feet. In the distance, birds and dogs are visible on the shore, behind which a pacific expanse of water extends. Somewhere the invisible sun rises in the picture, a new day begins.

It is not known for certain when Pierrot di Cosimo painted this picture. Some researchers consider her an early work, others consider her a late work. Disagreement is caused by the theme of the picture. At the London National Gallery, it was exhibited under the title “Mythological Subject” (A Mythological Subject), and now under the heading “Satyr mourning over a Nymph” ^[1] . Museum keepers doubt the version supported by most art historians that this painting is dedicated to the death of Procrida , the final scene of an ancient Greek legend retold by Ovid in “ Metamorphoses ” (VII, 752–65).

According to one version of the legend, the husband of Prokrida Kefal , wanting to test her fidelity, began to look after her, changing clothes with another man. When Procrida succumbed to his harassment, Mullet revealed his real face, and the disgraced Procrida fled to the forest to the goddess Diana . Mullet obtained forgiveness from his wife, but now she began to suspect him of infidelity and, during a hunt, hid in the bushes to follow him. Mullet accidentally mortally wounded Prokrid, mistaking her for a beast.

January 21, 1487 at the wedding feast at the court of Este in Ferrara , the premiere of the drama Nicolo da Correggio's “Cefalo”. It was printed in Venice in 1507 , and Pierrot di Cosimo was probably familiar with this drama. The myth of Procridus during the Renaissance was interpreted as a warning to the newlyweds against adultery. Perhaps the painting "Death of Procrida" was also intended for the wedding. It is made of tempera and oil on a board and has dimensions of 65.4 × 184.2 cm - an unusual format for a picture, but quite suitable for the front wall of a cassone wedding chest. In Florence in 1350 - 1530 the bride took such a long lockable chest into the house of her future husband. The chest was installed at the foot of the matrimonial bed and was intended to store the clothes and jewelry of his wife. Wealthy brides ordered the decoration and decoration of the chest from artists who allowed more freedom in this genre than with altar paintings and large-format paintings. It is assumed that Piero di Cosimo, like Sandro Botticelli , made several paintings of wedding chests, among which could be the “Death of Procrida”.

There is also a version that “Death of Procida” was part of a series of wall panels made by Pierrot to decorate the house of one of the wealthy citizens. This cycle depicted the history of the development of mankind and was aimed at guiding the viewer to philosophical thoughts. If the Death of Procida belongs to this cycle, then perhaps it has a deeper meaning than just a warning against jealousy and betrayal.

The death scene is depicted against the backdrop of a melancholy water landscape under a boundless blue sky. Large herons, which, according to Pliny the Elder , can shed tears from sadness, like people, stand on the shore of the blue river. Perhaps this is one of the three rivers of the underworld, into which Prokrid will go.

A goat-footed faun or satyr leaned over the body of the deceased woman. Ovid does not mention the faun, but in the play of Correggio he is presented as a negative hero. He solicits Procrida and accuses Kefal of infidelity, eventually becoming the cause of Procida's death. Now he stands over the body of his beloved with an expression of tenderness and care on his face. The faun is depicted in a highly sensual manner, which is explained by Pierrot di Cosimo's passion for wild, untamed nature, which the faun symbolizes.

Piero di Cosimo was a student of Cosimo Rosselli , who, in addition to painting, was engaged in alchemy . Pierrot most likely helped his teacher in search of the philosopher's stone and was familiar with alchemical symbolism. So, black and white dogs, depicted in the depths of the picture, symbolize two states of matter - solid and gaseous. A hunting dog, twice present in the picture, can symbolize the patron saint of alchemy Hermes Trismegistus , who is often depicted in the form of a dog in alchemical texts. The red cape and the yellow veil on Procridus are also alchemical symbols of the red tincture and the golden drink . The very arrangement of the body of Procrida resembles the illustrations for treatises, common in the 15th century, where a man or woman (Adam or Eve) lies pierced by the spear of Hermes, and from them grows a philosophical tree (arbor philosophica). Thus, the death of matter is followed by the resurrection and liberation of the spirit, spiritual transformation.

Obtaining gold was not the only task of alchemy. The real goal of the alchemists was to achieve immortality. And although the tree in the painting by Piero di Cosimo does not grow from the body of Procrida, it is still located directly above her heart and in an alchemical interpretation represents a victory over death under the leadership of Hermes the Greatest in the form of a dog and with the help of nature in the form of a faun.

• Lavin, Irving. Cephalus and Procris // Journal of the Warburg and Caurtauld Institute. - London, 1954. - No. 17 .
• Panofsky, Erwin. Studies in Iconology. - New York, 1962.
• Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the artists. - London, 1965.
• Rose-Marie & Rainer Hagen. What Great Paintings Say. - Taschen, 2005. - T. 1. - S. 152-157. - ISBN 978-3-8228-4790-9 .