De Aragne colophonia muliere · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Aragne colophonia muliere
Subject: Minerva; Weaving; Suicide; Transformation; Greek Mythology; Roman Mythology; Arachne
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Lydia; Asia Minor; Colophon
Description: This engraving depicts Arachne killing herself by means of hanging. We know that this is Arachne as her name is engraved in Latin just beside her body. There is a loom on the left-hand side of the engraving and a net just to the right of the loom. Boccaccio explains in his story that Arachne is known by ancient writers as being the one who discovered the uses of woven wool and the first to make nets. Arachne became too confident in her wool work and challenged Minerva to a weaving competition. After the goddess had won, Arachne hung herself, as depicted in the engraving. There is a spider on a spider-web on the right-hand side of the engraving, as Arachne is said to have been transformed into a spider after this event.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:11917
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_11917_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Minerva; Weaving; Suicide; Transformation; Greek Mythology; Roman Mythology; Arachne