The quiet Minotaur: Rubens and the dialogue with antiquity and other traditions

Abstract

This article discusses the sketch Daedalus and the Minotaur, conceived by Peter Paul Rubens, in 1636, for the series commissioned by the Spanish king Philip  IV. In this work, Rubens represents a more human Minotaur, in a peculiar situation, establishing a dialogue with a long tradition, which goes from classical antiquity to the 17th century, from which he both approaches and moves away. For our analysis, we take, as guidelines, literature and ancient iconography about the myth of the Cretan monster, as well as later representations, which differ from the canonical form. We also take into consideration some studies about the series commissioned by the king and the aforementioned draft, especially in Díez-Platas (2005) and Alpers (1971).