Jacques Jordaens (1593–1678), Atalanta’s uncles try to rob her of the boar’s head she received from Melager (Ovid, Metamorphoses 7:260-444), c. 1617-1618, Oil on canvas, 152.0 x 120.0 cm, The Snijders & Rockox House, Antwerp, On loan from Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
His early work reflects Jordaens’ engagement with Caravaggio’s influence, particularly evident in the strong contrasts of light and shadow, which heighten the emotional intensity of the scene. In this version, the figures are depicted with a naturalism that anchors them in everyday life. Unlike Rubens’ more idealised figures, Jordaens’ women resemble local peasant women, emphasising their earthiness and human frailty rather than portraying them as divine or muse-like figures.
The story of the Calydonian Boar Hunt, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, tells how the goddess Artemis sends a monstrous boar to ravage Calydon as punishment for the king’s failure to honour her in his rituals. Meleager, the king’s son, leads a group of hunters, including the courageous Atalanta, to kill the boar. Atalanta is the first to wound it, and Meleager delivers the final blow. As a reward, Meleager gives Atalanta the boar’s head, but his uncles, angered that a woman has received the prize, attempt to take it from her. Furious, Meleager kills his uncles, triggering a tragic series of events that leads to his death, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
The allegory explores themes of honour, gender roles, and the destructive nature of envy. This myth resonated with Baroque artists for its focus on emotional tension and moral conflict. The dramatic emotions of rage, jealousy, and vengeance suited the Baroque era’s fascination with dynamic movement and intense, expressive storytelling, making it a popular subject in the period’s art.
While later versions of this theme by Jordaens adopt a more Rubensian style—smoother, more dynamic, and opulent—this early version reflects a period when Caravaggism still held sway. However, it was beginning to fall out of fashion in Antwerp.