Mercury and Battus
In this dramatic Baroque landscape, the god Mercury (standing with a staff) confronts the shepherd Battus, who sits by a stream pointing accusingly. According to myth, Battus witnessed Mercury stealing Apollo's cattle and promised to keep quiet, but when Mercury returned in disguise to test his loyalty, the shepherd betrayed him for a reward. As punishment for his loose lips, Mercury transformed the chatty shepherd into a stone—perhaps explaining the massive, looming rock formation dominating the background! Francisque Millet masterfully blends classical mythology with a lush, atmospheric setting typical of 17th-century landscape painting.
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