De medea: hija del rey oetes · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De medea: hija del rey oetes
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Modern day Georgia; Colchis
Description: Jason of Thessaly and Medea of Colchis are illustrated riding on a horse together as they flee from Medea’s father, King Aeetes. Boccaccio explained that Medea betrayed her father by helping Jason on his task to find the Golden Fleece. Jason is seated at the front of the horse and Medea is riding behind him. We know that this is Jason and Medea as their names are engraved beside their heads in order to identify them. Medea is depicted holding a severed head in her left hand, which is the head of her brother, Aegialeus (his name is also engraved beside his head). Medea had dismembered her own brother and scattered his limbs around the road behind her and Jason in order to distract her father from pursuing them. King Aeetes is illustrated on the left-hand side of the engraving as he is picking up his son’s limbs.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:14489
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_14489_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Medea; Jason; The Golden Fleece; Aeetes; Greek Mythology; Important Women