Jason and the Marathonian bull

The present drawing illustrates the myth of Jason facing the fire-breathing Marathonian Bull. Accompanied at left by the ram with the Golden Fleece, the hero is observed by Medea. Rendered in Campagnola’s late technique, with flowing ink lines and bold cross-hatchings, the design appears outlined in a trapezoidal shape and possibly meant as a decorative inset above a fireplace. The likely candidate for this type of decoration is the Mantuan residence of Marco Benavides (1489-1582), who commissioned from Campagnola an entire fresco cycle for his palace at Contrà Porciglia in 1541. The drawing’s late style confirms its execution around the 1540s.
We are grateful to Christophe Brouard for confirming the attribution to Domenico Campagnola.