The Fall of the Titans
Cornelis Cornelisz Van Haarlem
1588 - 1590
Cornelis van Haarlem’s chaotic masterpiece captures the exact moment the Olympian gods hurl the Titans from Mount Olympus in a spectacular display of Mannerist muscle-flexing. Painted around 1588 for the Prinsenhof in Haarlem, this massive canvas is a riot of twisting, falling bodies, with some figures so exaggeratedly muscular they look like they’re doing cosmic gymnastics. Notice the dragonflies and butterflies landing on the fallen giants—a subtle, eerie touch of nature reclaiming the divine battlefield. It’s a perfect example of Northern Mannerism, where drama and complex poses trumped realistic proportions, leaving viewers dizzy just trying to count the limbs!
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen