Not currently on view
In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of August 2026
FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG
Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece required him to bypass a fearsome dragon, which he was able to do with a sleeping potion given to him by the witch Medea. Salvatore Rosa selected classical narratives to prove he was a great and learned painter of histories, and he showcased the novelty of being among the first 16th- or 17th-century artists to portray this particular story. Rosa turned the ancient epic into a moody struggle by transmitting the mystery and magic of his earlier witchcraft imagery. Utilizing the energetic and spontaneous qualities of his draftsmanship, the violence of Jason's feat is emphasized by a claustrophobic and savage environment of crags and "blasted" trees that frames the dynamic diagonals of the hero and recoiling dragon.
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Salvator Rosa — Jason and the Dragon
Salvator Rosa — Jason and the Dragon
John Hamilton Mortimer|Sir Joshua Reynolds — Successful Mons
Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558–1617) — The Deities: Demogorg
John Hamilton Mortimer — Enrag'd Monster
Stefano della Bella|Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin|Henri Le 
Nicolas-François Chifflart (French, 1825–1901) — Justice, Ve
Michel Dorigny — Saint Margaret
Hubert Gerhard|Lucas Kilian|Peter Candid (Pieter de Witte, P
Maria Catharina Prestel (German, 1747–1794) — The Triumph of
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778) — The Skelet
Antonio Tempesta — Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna: Hercules
