^ Sebastiano Ricci, La Caduta di Phaethon, 1705, Belluno, Museo Civico.

Ovid’s tragedy, Phaëthon, tells the story of the son of the Sun God, Helios, and his insistence on driving the Sun Chariot for a day; a task far beyond his capacities.

A deep exploration of the eternal boy archetype (Puer Aeternus) and the consequences of letting him have his way.

^ Nicolas Poussin, Eco e Narciso (ca. 1629-1630), Museo del Louvre, Parigi

Ovid gives us his poetic rendition of the tragedy of Narcissus and Echo. I wonder if he could have envisioned, in his wildest fantasies, that over 2,000 years later the tale would lend its name to a psychological complex of epidemic proportions.

^ The Golden Age. Pietro da Cortona (Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy)

The poet, Ovid, describing the four mythological ages in Book One of Metamorphoses. An interesting take on Saturn as the ruler of the Golden Age pre-agriculture. Though written over 2,000 years ago, it rings bone-shudderingly true for the modern day.