The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's most prestigious cultural institutions, houses Pegasus, Inventory No. 218, a remarkable painting by Jacob Jordaens I (1593-1678), one of the leading Flemish Baroque painters alongside Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck.

This artwork captures the mythical winged horse Pegasus, a compelling figure from Greek mythology born from the blood of Medusa after she was beheaded by Perseus. In classical tradition, Pegasus is associated with poetic inspiration—creating the spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon with a strike of his hoof—and heroic quests, particularly through his association with the hero Bellerophon.

Jordaens, known for his dynamic compositions and rich colour palette, likely presents Pegasus in a manner that reflects the Baroque era's preference for dramatic intensity and narrative depth. His interpretation would have drawn on classical sources while adapting them to contemporary artistic sensibilities and the tastes of 17th-century Flemish patrons.

The painting exemplifies how classical mythology continued to provide powerful symbolic material for artists throughout the European Baroque period. Pegasus, as a symbol of divine inspiration, creativity, and transcendence, offered artists a vehicle for exploring themes of imagination and artistic achievement while demonstrating their mastery of classical subject matter.

This work stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of mythological subjects in Western art history and their ability to convey complex ideas about human aspiration, creativity, and the relationship between the earthly and the divine through visual narrative.