The Origin of the Milky Way (Tintoretto)
| Origin of the Milky Way | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Tintoretto |
| Year | ca. 1575–1580 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 148 cm × 165 cm (58 in × 65 in) |
| Location | National Gallery, London |
The Origin of the Milky Way is a painting by the Italian late Renaissance master Jacopo Tintoretto, in the National Gallery, London, formerly in the Orleans Collection. It is an oil painting on canvas, and dates from ca.1575–1580.
According to myth, the infant Heracles was brought to Hera by his half-sister Athena, who later played an important role as a goddess of protection. Hera nursed Heracles out of pity, but he suckled so strongly that he caused Hera pain, and she pushed him away. Her milk sprayed across the heavens and there formed the Milky Way. With divine milk, Heracles acquired supernatural powers.
See also[]
External links[]
- High definition image on Google art
- Tintoretto's The Origin of the Milky Way, Smarthistory, video (5:19)
- The Origin of the Milky Way (podcast with transcript: Miranda Hinkley & Karly Allen, National Gallery London February 2009)
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Categories:
- 1570s paintings
- Paintings by Tintoretto
- Collections of the National Gallery, London
- Milky Way in fiction
- Paintings depicting Heracles
- Paintings of Hera
- Nude art
- Breastfeeding in art
- Paintings of children
- Birds in art
- Paintings formerly in the Orleans Collection
- 16th-century painting stubs