Cimon and Pero | Peter Paul Rubens | c. 1612 Orientalism holding a skull—an unmistakable symbol

holding a skull—an unmistakable symbol of memento mori

the powerful conqueror

a massive haystack

almost dreamlike atmosphere

Wyeth turns a heroic death into a human farewell

Cimon and Pero | Peter Paul Rubens | c. 1612 Orientalism holding a skull—an unmistakable symbolAbout the artwork: Peter Paul Rubens Cimon and Pero (c. 1612) dramatizes the ancient Roman tale of filial piety, where the imprisoned old man Cimon is secretly kept alive by the selfless act of his daughter Pero, who nurses him at her own breast. Rubens heightens the tension of the scene through his typically dynamic composition and voluptuous handling of flesh, contrasting the frailty of the starving father with the youthful vitality of the daughter.