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

Title: De Niobe: reyna soberuiosa de Thebas
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Thebes; Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving depicts Niobe, the daughter of King Tantalus of Phrygia, on the right-hand side of the engraving wearing a crown. We know that this is Niobe as the creator engraved her name beside her head to identify her. Niobe had become proud of the fact that she had more children than Latona, mother to Diana and Apollo. As punishment for her hubris against the goddess, all of Niobe’s children, as told by Boccaccio, had been killed by the plague. Her children are illustrated in the centre of the engraving, being killed by the rays of the sun which signify the plague. Grieved by the loss of all their children, Niobe’s husband, King Amphion of Thebes, killed himself with a knife. Amphion is depicted on the left side of the engraving as he pierces his body with the knife. His name is engraved just above his head.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:14488
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_14488_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Niobe; Hubris; Latona; Gods; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Important Women; Famous Women