De Jocasta: reyna de Thebas · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Jocasta: reyna de Thebas
Subject: Important Queens; Famous Women; Jocasta; Oedipus; Greek Mythology; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Thebes; Corinth; Ancient Greece
Description: Queen Jocasta of Thebes is depicted on the right side of the engraving rubbing the tears away from her eyes with a shawl. She is crying because her husband exposed their child into the wilderness due to a prophecy which 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 shepherd approaching the baby as he takes him in and raises him as his own. Oedipus’ name is engraved beside his arm. 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 left side of the engraving with Jocasta and Oedipus’ names engraved above their heads to identify them.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:14495
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_14495_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Queens; Famous Women; Jocasta; Oedipus; Greek Mythology; Important Women