Skip to main content

Armida Gazes on the Sleeping Rinaldo

c. 1785
Giuseppe Cades (Italian (active Rome), 1750–1799)
Giuseppe Cades absorbed inspiration from various members of the international coterie of artists working in Rome in the 1770s and 1780s to form a style that metamorphosed standard classical subjects into paintings and drawings of distinctive originality. This highly finished work illustrates a scene from Torquato Tasso's epic poem Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) in which the sorceress Armida, who has seduced and enslaved various heroic crusaders, has vowed to kill their liberator, the Christian knight Rinaldo. In collusion with a mysterious and beautiful nymph whose occupation is to lure youths into an enchanted sleep, Armida approaches Rinaldo, but when she gazes on him and sees how handsome he is, she is stricken with love herself.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.