Jocasta der künigin Thebanorum · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Jocasta der künigin Thebanorum
Subject: Jocasta; Oedipus; Prophecies; Incest; Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Greek Legend
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Thebes; Ancient Greece
Description: Queen Jocasta of Thebes is depicted on the left side of the engraving rubbing the tears away from her eyes with her dress. She is crying because her husband exposed their child into the wilderness. This was due to a prophecy that foretold the baby would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Her child, Oedipus, is depicted lying on the ground after being exposed. There is a person approaching the baby as they take him in and raise him as their own. Oedipus ends up fulfilling the prophecy by killing his father later in life, and marrying his mother, Jocasta. When Jocasta and Oedipus find out they are mother and son, Oedipus gouges out his eyes and Jocasta kills herself. This scene is depicted on the right side of the engraving. Jocasta kills herself by piercing her chest with a sword and Oedipus’s hands are illustrated in front of his eyes as he gouges them out. The city of Thebes is illustrated in the background of the engraving on the left side.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18292
Language: ger
Source Name: Ein schöne Cronica oder Hystoribuch von den fürnämlichsten Weybern [A beautiful chronicle or history book of reputable women]
Parent Collection: 1543 Stayner; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18292_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Jocasta; Oedipus; Prophecies; Incest; Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Greek Legend

Media: mta_18292_OBJ.png