Cephalus Punished at the Hunt

Bernardino Luini

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a hunting scene involving several animals in a wooded landscape. The foreground shows a group of hounds engaging with a downed animal on a grassy area surrounded by vegetation. Above them, a figure in purple garb raises an arm. The figures are positioned on an incline that spirals upwards into a dense backdrop of tall trees. Light filters through the branches creating a serene backdrop of cloudy skies. The composition uses natural color tones to depict depth and distance in a rural environment. This is in the style of Piero di Cosimo.