The painting illustrates an episode from Ovid’s Metamorphoses: Mercury prepares to send Argus to sleep, with the alluring melodies of his flute, and then to kill him at Jove’s command. Argus, the shepherd with a hundred eyes and immense strength, was entrusted by Juno to keep watch over the young Io, who was loved by Jove and transformed by him into a heifer. The painting entered the Ambrosiana collection as a work by the Neapolitan artist Salvator Rosa, but is now attributed to a late-seventeenth-century Genoese painter.
Every Saturday at 15.30 a guided tour of the masterpieces of the Pinacoteca, together with professional guides of our official partner AdArtem
Opening hours of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and of the San Sepolcro Crypt for the upcoming holidays
From April 6 to May 9 2023 the Crypt of San Sepolcro hosts the exhibition “Oliviero Rainaldi. 2023 AD”, an exhibition that traces the life of Christ in five episodes, birth, infancy, martyrdom, death and resurrection.
The Archbishop of Milan, His Excellency Mons. Mario Delpini, has appointed Msgr. Marco Maria Navoni Prefect of the College of Fellows of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana with effect from 27 February 2023.
Rooms 2 and 3, the exhibition is the first in a series dedicated to showing us what is not normally displayed, for a wider enhancement of the Institution's heritage.
Crypt of San Sepolcro open until April 2 2023, every Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 to 17.30 | last access 17.00
