The Daughters of Cecrops finding the child Erichthonius - Jacob Jordaens

A classic Flemish Baroque scene by Jacob Jordaens, depicting the mythological discovery of the infant Erichthonius with characteristic realism and warmth.

Jacob Jordaens, a contemporary of Peter Paul Rubens, produced this large-scale mythological scene early in his career. The composition depicts the daughters of Cecrops, the mythical king of Athens, as they discover the infant Erichthonius within a basket. According to the myth, the child was born of the earth and possessed the lower body of a serpent, a detail Jordaens includes with characteristic directness.

The painting displays the physical robustness and earthy realism that define Jordaens's approach to the Flemish Baroque style. The figures are rendered with a focus on tactile surfaces, from the soft, pale skin of the women to the heavy drapery that pools around them. An elderly woman, often interpreted as a nurse or attendant, watches the scene with a knowing expression, while a turkey and a small dog occupy the foreground, adding an element of domestic observation to the classical narrative.

Jordaens employs a warm, golden light that illuminates the central group, creating a strong contrast against the darker, architectural background. The arrangement of the figures is dense, filling the frame with a sense of physical presence. The inclusion of a parrot perched upon a stone plinth and the elaborate urn further demonstrate the artist's interest in still-life elements, which he integrates into his narrative works. This piece reflects the artist's ability to blend classical subject matter with the grounded, material reality of seventeenth-century Flanders. The work is currently held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.