La tres noble dianire a sut feme de hercules · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: La tres noble dianire a sut feme de hercules
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Calydon; Aetolia
Description: This illuminated image depicts Deianira, the wife of Hercules riding horseback with Nessus. Hercules was taking his new wife Deianira home to Calydon with him when the Evenus River flooded. Nessus, as described by Boccaccio, was riding by on his horse when he offered to take Deianira across the river safely by horse. Hercules allowed it, however, once Nessus crossed the river with Deianira, he tried to abduct her and run away with her. Before he could get away, Hercules shot an arrow and killed him and rescued his wife. Boccaccio explains that Nessus was riding horseback, however, in Greek mythology, Nessus is known to be a centaur.
Image Creator: Robinet Testard (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:17142
Language: frm
Source Name: Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme [Boccaccio, The cleric and noble women, anonymous French translation]
Parent Collection: Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme. Illuminations by Robinet Testard (1488-1496); Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme. Illuminations by Robinet Testard (1488-1496)
Image: mta_17142_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Nessus; Abduction; Deianira; Hercules