Jupiter op wolken met bliksemschichten en adelaar

About this artwork

Jupiter als god van de hemel en het wisselvallige weer gezeten op wolken met bliksemschichten in zijn hand en vergezeld door een adelaar. Onder de voorstelling staat het opschrift IVPPITER AETHEREA SVMMA DOMINATOR IN ARCE. Kopie naar een prent van Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio

Art Historical Context

This engraving by Jacob Binck, created in 1530, captures Jupiter as the supreme Roman god of the heavens and weather. Seated amid billowing clouds, the deity holds thunderbolts in one hand while his loyal eagle companion perches nearby. The Latin inscription below, “IVPPITER AETHEREA SVMMA DOMINATOR IN ARCE,” proclaims him the highest ruler in the ethereal citadel, underscoring his authority over the skies. Binck’s work is a reproductive print after an earlier composition by the Italian engraver Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio. Such copies played a vital role in spreading Italian Renaissance interpretations of classical mythology across Northern Europe. Measuring just 212 by 108 millimeters, the small scale made the image suitable for collectors’ albums and private study. As an engraving, the medium allowed precise lines and dramatic contrasts that highlight Jupiter’s commanding presence. Binck’s version preserves the dynamic energy of Caraglio’s design while adapting it for a wider audience fascinated by antique gods and their symbolic power during the sixteenth century.