136/150

About this artwork

Circe straft Picus door hem in een vogel te veranderen. Achter Circe staat een zwijn. Titel in het Latijn in ondermarge.

Art Historical Context

**Circe Punishes Picus**, plate 136/150, is a delicate etching by Italian artist Antonio Tempesta, created in 1606. Measuring just 104 mm high by 117 mm wide, this-scale print captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology: the enchantress Circe transforms the king Picus into a as punishment for rejecting her advances. Behind her stands a, evoking her infamous sorcery—perhaps alluding to her transformation of Odysseus's men in Homer's *Odyssey*. The Latin title in the lower margin adds a scholarly touch, inviting viewers to engage with ancient texts. Tempesta, a masterful etcher active in late Renaissance Rome, excelled in intricate line work that brought mythological narratives to life. Etching, using acid to bite designs into metal plates, allowed for fine details and multiple impressions, making such prints accessible to collectors across Europe. This piece belongs to a grand series of 150 etchings, likely illustrating Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, reflecting the era's fascination with transformation tales amid the Baroque interest in drama and the supernatural. These prints were cultural touchstones, bridging antiquity and the 17th century by popularizing epic stories in homes and studios. Tempesta's dynamic compositions, blending human emotion with magical metamorphosis, highlight etching's power as a democratic medium, preserving vivid myths for generations of admirers.

About the Artist

Antonio Tempesta · 1555–1630

Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...