The Farnese Bull with Dirce, Zethus and Amphion

Art Historical Context

Behold *The Farnese Bull with Dirce, Zethus and Amphion*, a masterful 1581 engraving by Diana Scultori, one of the earliest known female printmakers in Renaissance Italy. This intricate work captures a dramatic moment from Greek mythology: the brothers Zethus and Amphion binding the cruel queen Dirce to a raging bull as vengeance, inspired by the renowned ancient Roman marble sculpture from the Farnese collection. Scultori, active in Mantua and Rome, excelled in reproductive prints that brought classical antiquity to a wider audience during the Renaissance revival of ancient art. Crafted as an engraving in black ink on fine ivory laid paper, the image measures nearly 37 x 27 cm, with the sheet slightly larger to showcase the platemark. Engraving's precision allowed Scultori to render the sculpture's dynamic tension, muscular forms, and expressive torment with remarkable detail and depth, using cross-hatching for shadows and texture. This medium was revolutionary for its day, enabling affordable dissemination of grand sculptures otherwise accessible only to the elite. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this piece highlights Scultori's technical virtuosity and the era's passion for antiquarianism, bridging ancient myth with 16th-century innovation. A testament to enduring storytelling through art.