“Apollo and the Dragon”
Northern Italian School, circa 1680
Italy, 17th century
Oil on octagonal panel
Dimensions: approx. 28.8 × 38.8 cm
This evocative mythological scene depicts Apollo, the god of light, poetry, and prophecy, in confrontation with a dragon or serpent-like creature — a composition possibly alluding to the slaying of Python, the monstrous guardian of Delphi in classical mythology.
Executed with a dramatic palette and dynamic composition, the painting reflects the Baroque taste for expressive gestures, contrasting light and shadow, and heroic myth.
Its octagonal panel format is characteristic of cabinet pictures popular among collectors in Northern Italy during the late 17th century.
