Indiana University Indiana University IU

Browse the collection

A Centaur Abduction: Nessus and Dejanira

Artist Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (Italian, August 30, 1727–March 3, 1804)
Title A Centaur Abduction: Nessus and Dejanira
Date Ca. 1750
Medium Brown ink and wash on paper
Dimensions Image: 10 3/16 x 12 1/8 in. (25.9 x 30.8 cm)
Sheet: 10 3/16 x 12 1/8 in. (25.9 x 30.8 cm)
Framed: 17 1/2 × 19 3/8 × 1 in. (44.5 × 49.2 × 2.5 cm)
Credit Line The Anthony Moravec Collection of Old Master Drawings, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 2010.132

Share this artwork!

About this Work

Of the more than 100 drawings Domenico made of centaurs, this example with its loose style belongs with his earliest treatments drawn in the 1750s. Identified as Nessus abducting Dejanira, the wife of Hercules, the drawing vividly describes Dejanira’s struggle for release. Although most drawings like this one are titled by their owners as depicting Nessus abducting Dejanira, some of the standard elements of the story (notably Hercules with his poisoned arrow, which he uses to kill Nessus) are absent from Domenico’s versions, which suggests that Domenico may have simply enjoyed exploring the famously bestial nature of centaurs.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Viewing Information
This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request.

 

Request this Image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request. This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.

Cite this Page
"A Centaur Abduction: Nessus and Dejanira | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2010.132