Pronounce the artist’s name: Foon-guy’
Subject: The story depicted in this painting recounts a little known story from Greek mythology. A group of colonists, bound for the island of Lesbos, are instructed by an oracle to drop one of their daughters into the sea as an offering to Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. At the far right, a young woman in red, the beloved of Enalus, is forced from the boat; in the center, she swims through the water aided by dolphins; and at the far left, she is greeted and pulled ashore by a group of women. In the background is a wooded landscape depicting women, farmers and fishermen, a mounted knight, and two monk-like figures reading books at the mouth of a cave. Poseidon is shown with his trident in the center of the painting, and the figures of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Eros, her son, at the far left, allude to a classical source.
Style: This painting reveals the Renaissance interests in careful observation of nature and in creating a convincing three-dimensional space through the use of perspective. Fungai filled this work with exquisite details of the boats, the animals, and the countryside. The artist suggests deep space through atmospheric perspective. Objects in the foreground are large, detailed, and painted in naturalistic colors. To suggest depth, the artist painted the distant hills and ships as small in size, muted in tone, and lacking detail. The repetition of the young maiden in red establishes the three episodes and moves the story across the painted surface.
Technique: To create this painting, Fungai sealed a wooden panel with a layer of gesso, a gypsum and glue paste combination. After sanding the surface smoothly, he then applied the paint. In fifteenth-century Italy the prevalent painting medium was egg tempera. Vegetable or mineral pigments were ground to a fine powder, mixed with water to make a wet paste, then combined with egg yolk and water. The yellow of the yolk had no impact on the paint’s color. Egg tempera dries quickly, resulting in areas of flat color with sharp edges. It is a very durable and chemically stable medium that over time changes little in color.
Context: In the history of European art, the Renaissance is generally dated 1400-1550. The word “renaissance” means “rebirth” and refers to the renewed interest in the art, culture, literature, and science of ancient Greece and Rome that characterized the period. Scholars and artists of the Renaissance viewed themselves as the cultural heirs of the great writers, artists, and political and military leaders of antiquity. Classical art provided a great many styles and approaches for the Renaissance artist to study.
This painting of a mythological story was probably displayed in a home. Although the story has not been identified, it is one that teaches a lesson in virtue. Such stories were popular in the Renaissance and were intended to serve as models for the people who viewed them. Paintings like this one were either incorporated into the paneling of a room or into a chest, called a cassone.
Curators are always researching the museum’s collection. In the process, titles of works of art can change. This work used to be called Mythological Narrative, a generic term. Curatorial research identified the myth depicted here, so the work was retitled.
