Through its overflowing detail, the mythological story here serves the greater goal of presenting the industry of metalwork, and Antwerp’s role as a mercantile hub in particular. Polished armour, cannons, and other weapons pile on top of each other, spilling over in all directions and allowing the artist to demonstrate his skill at surface and lighting effects, but also the city’s considerable international reach and wealth. Breughel would have intended his patrons to understand this picture not only as a mythological scene, nor just as a dazzling tour-de-force of his own artistic abilities, but also as a statement of their own place at the hub of an global trading centre.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on panel, 74.5 x 127 cm]