De Hipermestra: hija del rey Danao · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Hipermestra: hija del rey Danao
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: The Argives; Ancient Greece; Argos
Description: Hypermnestra and her husband, Linus, are illustrated on the edge of the bed on the left-hand side of the engraving. We know these figures are Hypermnestra and Linus as their names are engraved above their heads. Hypermnestra is depicted with her arm lovingly touching Linus’ chest. As Boccaccio explains, a prophecy told Hypermnestra’s father that one of his nephews would kill him, so he married all his daughters to his nephews and instructed them to kill their new grooms to avoid this prophecy from happening. Hypermnestra, however, fell in love with her cousin Linus. Hypermnestra instructs him to leave to avoid her father and sisters from killing him. One of her sisters is depicted lying in the bed behind her, already having killed her husband, along with the other husbands that have been murdered.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:14487
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_14487_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Hypermnestra; Linus; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Murder; Important Women