The Daughters of Cecrops finding the child Erichthonius

Jacob Jordaens executed this mythological scene in 1640, depicting the daughters of the Athenian king Cecrops discovering the infant Erichthonius. According to Greek myth, Athena had hidden the half-serpent child in a basket with strict orders not to look inside. The sisters disobeyed and went mad at the sight.

Jordaens was a leading Flemish Baroque painter who worked alongside Rubens. His robust figures and earthy palette distinguish his mythological subjects from Rubens' more elegant approach. The dramatic moment of forbidden discovery suited Baroque taste for theatrical narratives.