De Procris Cephali coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Procris Cephali coniuge
Subject: Procris; Greek Mythology; Cephalus
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Thessaly
Description: Boccaccio explains that when Cephalus was told that his wife would abandon his love in exchange for money and treasures, Cephalus began testing his wife, Procris. Cephalus disguised himself and offered her gold and treasures in exchange for her love. This scene is depicted on the left-hand side of the engraving. Procris (her name is engraved just beside her head) is clearly putting her hand up to stop the disguised Cephalus as she rejected his first offer. However, Boccaccio explains that she had accepted after Cephalus tempted her a few times. Maddened by her conscious for what she had done, Procris went to live in the woods. Cephalus had been hunting one day and had mistaken his wife for an animal and shot her. Procris is visible behind the grass in the background of the engraving as Cephalus is depicted with a cross bow in his hands after shooting her. Cephalus’ name is engraved beside his arm to identify him.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:11927
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_11927_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Procris; Greek Mythology; Cephalus