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A unique monograph on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and its lasting impact on Western art, behind his most iconic images.One of the most famous works of classical antiquity, Ovid’s
Metamorphoses, has profoundly influenced Western art from antiquity to today. Since the Renaissance, its stories have been a key source of inspiration for artists. Ovid recounts the lives of gods, mythological figures, and mortals, all undergoing dramatic transformations. Among the most striking are Daphne turning into a laurel tree to escape Apollo, Jupiter seducing Io in the form of a cloud, and the sculptor Pygmalion falling in love with his own creation – a statue of Galatea brought to life.
The exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum (February 2026) and the Galleria Borghese (June 2026), as well as the accompanying catalogue, showcase the vast artistic legacy inspired by Ovid across time and media. Sculptures by Bernini and Rodin stand alongside paintings by Titian, Poussin, and Rembrandt, while works by 20th and 21st-century artists are also included.
With text contributions by Frits Scholten, Francesca Cappelletti, Bart Ramakers, Claudia Cieri Via, Lucia Simonato et al.
About the author
Prof. Dr. Frits Scholten is Senior Curator of Sculpture at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and specializes in sculpture from the 15th to the 19th century. In addition, he holds the Rijksmuseum Chair in the Theory and History of Collecting at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam as a professor by special appointment.
Francesca Cappelletti is an art history professor at the University of Ferrara and the director of Galleria Borghese in Rome. She graduated from the University of Rome and where she verified the authenticity of the Caravaggio painting
The Taking of Christ with Laura Testa while they were students. Francesca also studied at the Warburg Institute in London and the Collège de France in Paris.
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