“Diomedes Devoured by his Horses” is an artwork created by Gustave Moreau in 1866. Belonging to the Symbolism art movement, this artwork falls under the genre of mythological painting and is currently held in a private collection.
The artwork vividly portrays a dramatic scene from Greek mythology, where the Thracian king Diomedes is being consumed by his own ferocious horses. The composition centralizes the strained, twisting bodies of the horses and the delicate, almost ethereal figure of Diomedes, capturing the horror and chaos of the mythological event. The palette is rich yet spectral, with subdued earth tones punctuated by flashes of crimson, echoing both the violence and the transcendental quality typical of Symbolist works. The background, marked by architectural remnants and ethereal forms, adds an otherworldly atmosphere, further enhancing the mystical horror depicted in the artwork.
