Epic poem written by Torquato Tasso between 1559 and 1575 while in the service of Duke Alfonso II d'Este of Ferrara; first published in 1581. It relates the recovery of Jerusalem by Christian knights from the Turks in 1099 during the First Crusade. Its main characters are the heroes Rinaldo and Tancredi, who are torn between fulfilling their duties and indulging in their love for Armida and Clorinda, respectively. Rinaldo is the son of Bertoldo, who established the d'Este clan; hence, the poem becomes a celebration of the Ferrarese ducal family's ancestry. The Gerusalemme Liberata enjoyed great success and became a source for artists. Both Anthony van Dyck (1629; Baltimore Art Museum) and Nicolas Poussin (1629; London, Dulwich Picture Gallery) painted a Rinaldo andArmida; Guercino (1618-1619; Rome, Gallería Doria Pamphili) and Poussin (1630; St. Petersburg, Hermitage; second version 1634, Birmingham, Barber Institute of Fine Arts) rendered Tancredi and Erminia, another character from the story who loves Tancredi; and Guercino painted Erminia and the Shepherds (1649; Minneapolis Institute of Arts).
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.