Jacob (Jacques) Jordaens (May 1593 – October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, and a designer of tapestries and prints. He was a prolific artist who created biblical, mythological, and allegorical compositions, genre scenes, landscapes, illustrations of Flemish sayings and portraits. After the death of Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, he became the leading Flemish Baroque painter of his time. Unlike his illustrious contemporaries he never travelled abroad to study the Antique and Italian painting and, except for a few short trips to locations elsewhere in the Low Countries, he resided in Antwerp his entire life. He was said to remain largely indifferent to Rubens and van Dyck's intellectual and courtly aspirations. This attitude has been found in his art through a lack of idealistic treatment.

With Jordaens' "The Childhood of Zeus", the image is of Zeus (Jupiter) as a child being fed with milk from the goat Amalthea. Amalthea is being milked by a nymph. Zeus is on the ground as a nude child with a bottle in hand. To the left of the nymph a satyr is smiling. The God Zeus was the son of Titan Saturn (Cronus), who had devoured all his children at birth. Rhea, mother of Zeus, thus gave birth to him in secret on the island of Crete. Here she left her son in the care of nymphs; they fed him with honey and Amalthea's milk.

Later in his life Jordaens' principal patrons were the wealthy bourgeoisie and local churches. Only late in his career did he receive royal commissions.

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