The Rape of Proserpina

Proserpina, daughter of the goddess of agriculture Ceres, was abducted by Pluto to be his bride in the underworld. Scolari depicts the dramatic moment of her capture, using the strongly delineated contrast of the woodcut medium to underscore the violent intensity of the event. Eventually Pluto agreed to return Proserpina, but because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds while in the underworld, she was obligated to stay there six months out of the year. Proserpina’s absence for half the year corresponds to the turning of the seasons: when she is with her mother, nature blooms (spring and summer); when she is in the underworld, the earth becomes cold and barren (autumn and winter).