The Origin of the Milky Way is an oil painting on canvas made by the famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens between 1636 and 1638. It depicts the Greco-Roman myth that explains the formation of the Milky Way, this luminous band that crosses the night sky and which is actually composed of billions of stars.
The historical context of the work
The Origin of the Milky Way is part of a series of commissions from King Philip IV of Spain, who wanted to decorate the tower of Parada, his hunting lodge near Madrid. The king was a great admirer of Rubens, whom he had appointed court painter in 1628. He asked him to make paintings illustrating mythological, historical or religious scenes, inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Ovid’s Fasti or Livy’s Roman Histories.
Rubens worked on this project for several years, with the help of his workshop and his collaborators. He sent more than sixty paintings to the king of Spain, including The Origin of the Milky Way. This painting is now preserved in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The interpretation of the myth
The Origin of the Milky Way represents the moment when Hera, the goddess of marriage and motherhood, violently pushes away Hercules, the illegitimate son that her husband Zeus had with a mortal. Zeus had taken advantage of Hera’s sleep to make her breastfeed Hercules, hoping to give him immortality. But Hera wakes up and discovers the trickery. She rejects the child and her milk spills into the sky, forming the Milky Way.
Rubens stages this story with great pictorial virtuosity. He uses bright and contrasting colors to create a dramatic and dynamic effect. He plays on the oppositions between red and blue, light and dark, hot and cold. He renders realistically the expressions of the characters, the drapes of the clothes, the feathers of the peacocks that pull Hera’s chariot, the lightning that surrounds Zeus.
Rubens also draws inspiration from previous artistic sources, such as ancient sculptures or Italian paintings. He repeats for example the pose of Hercules from a Roman statue preserved in the Capitoline Museum in Rome. He also draws inspiration from Tintoretto’s painting The Origin of the Milky Way, which he had admired in Venice during his travels in Italy.
Rubens thus gives his own vision of the myth, adding his personal touch. He makes for example the portrait of his second wife, Helena Fourment, to represent Hera. He also shows his admiration for feminine beauty and his sensuality, by highlighting Hera’s naked and opulent body.
The symbolic meaning of the work
The Origin of the Milky Way is not only a faithful illustration of the myth. It is also a work that conveys symbolic and philosophical messages. Rubens expresses through this painting his vision of the world and his conception of art.
One of the main themes of the work is that of creative power. Rubens shows how Hera’s gesture gives birth to a cosmic phenomenon, the Milky Way. He suggests that nature is animated by a divine force that generates life and beauty. He also makes a parallel between Hera’s creative power and that of the painter, who transforms a white canvas into a work of art.
Another important theme is that of mixing opposites. Rubens illustrates in this painting the harmonious union between opposite elements: divine and human, masculine and feminine, sky and earth, day and night. He shows that the world is based on a dynamic balance between opposite forces, which generates diversity and richness.
Finally, Rubens also refers to the humanist ideal of classical culture. He shows his knowledge and admiration for Greco-Roman antiquity, from which he takes myths, forms and values. He affirms his belonging to a prestigious and universal artistic tradition.
The Origin of the Milky Way is a major work by Rubens, which testifies to his exceptional talent as a painter and his cultural erudition. It is a work that combines fidelity to myth and originality in interpretation. It is a work that expresses an optimistic and harmonious vision of the world and art.
