Neptune and Triton – 1623

Neptune and Triton – 1623 Marble

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini - V&A Museum

This sculpture depicts the Greek god of the sea Neptune (also known as Poseidon) and his son Triton. Neptune is holding a trident, which symbolizes his power over the seas, while his son is holding a horn used to herald the coming of his father. At first sight, it may seem as if the two figures are fighting, but this is not the case at all. What I find puzzling is how Greek mythology remained so influential in an age where Christian values and ideas were still so pervasive in European culture.