Daphne embracing her father, the river-god Peneus, at the left three nymphs bring jars from the 'Story of Apollo and Daphne'
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 1/16 × 7 5/16 in. (25.6 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John Sichel, 1966
Accession Number
66.747.5
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite engraving, titled *Daphne Embracing Her Father, the River-G Peneus, at the Left Three Nymphs Jars* from the *Story of and Daphne*, captures a moment from Ovid's *Metamorphoses*. Daphne, a nymph fleeing the god Apollo's pursuit, clings desperately to her father Pene, begging for salvation. As the three nymphs approach with jars—likely symbolizing ritual waters—the scene builds tension toward Daphne's transformation into a laurel tree, myth emblematic of unrequited love and divine intervention. Created between 1530 and 1560, it reflects the Renaissance fascination with classical mythology, blending drama and grace in a compact 10 x 7-inch sheet. Attributed to the Master of the Die, Philippe Thomassin, or Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi—suggesting a collaborative or workshop tradition—this print exemplifies the era's engraving mastery. Engraving, a metal-plate intaglio technique, allowed precise lines and tonal depth, making intricate narratives accessible beyond paintings. Peruzzi, a Mannerist architect and fresco artist, influenced such works with his elegant figures and dynamic compositions, while Thomassin's French precision enhanced reproducibility. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Mrs. John Sichel, 1966), it highlights how prints democratized art, educating and delighting 16th-century audiences with timeless tales of transformation.
About the Artist
Master of the Die|Philippe Thomassin|Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi · 1525–1560
**Master of the Die** (fl. 1525–1560) was an anonymous Italian engraver and printmaker active primarily in Rome during the mid-16th century. Named for the distinctive small die he used to sign his prints—a tiny emblematic mark that became his moniker—this elusive artist remains unidentified despite scholarly proposals linking him to figures like Benedetto Verino, Giovanni Francesco Zabello, Tommas...