De Arachne Colophonia · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Arachne Colophonia
Subject: Loom; Suicide; Weaving; Arachne; Pallas; Athena
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Colophon
Description: Arachne became so skilled at using her loom that she entered a contest against Pallas Athena, who had invented the tool. After losing the competition, she could not accept the defeat and decided to end her life by hanging with a rope. She may have been unsuccessful because her servants came to help her down before she died. In the photo, she is hanging from a rope with her servants surrounding her to help her down. The photo is based in the room she did her loom work in, with her tools to the right of the photo.
Image Creator: Jakob Kallenberg (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut engraving
Identifier: mta:18517
Language: lat
Source Name: Ioannis Boccatii de Certaldo Insigne Opvs de Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1539 Apiarius; 1539 Apiarius
Image: mta_18517_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Loom; Suicide; Weaving; Arachne; Pallas; Athena