Mercury Chasing Two Harpies

Mercury Chasing Two Harpies by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640) is an energetic and technically complex drawing that encapsulates the dramatic compositional approach of the Baroque era. Executed between 1597 and 1640, the work demonstrates the artist's foundational mastery of ink and wash, techniques essential for preparatory studies of this scale. Rubens employed pen and iron gall ink, combined with a brush and brown wash, layering these materials over an initial design sketched in red chalk on cream laid paper. The artist heightened specific areas of illumination with lead white, a pigment now typically discolored, to define mass and movement.

This dynamic study depicts the Roman messenger god Mercury, identifiable by his winged helmet and swift action, in pursuit of two Harpies, mythological figures often associated with wind and vengeance. As the preeminent master of the Flemish Baroque, Rubens utilized these large-scale preparatory pieces not only to explore challenging figure arrangements but also to refine the critical interplay of light and shadow, a characteristic feature of art produced in Belgium during the 17th century.

Though classified as a drawing, this work functions as a complete example of Rubens's compositional planning, showing how he developed an idea from preliminary chalk sketch to a fully modeled drawing that served as a model for subsequent oil paintings or engravings. The study was ultimately laid down on thin tissue for preservation. This important work is part of the distinguished collection of drawings housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. High-quality prints derived from Rubens’s influential preparatory works remain popular among collectors, particularly those studies, such as this piece, that have entered the public domain.