Penthesilea der Künigin Amazonum · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Penthesilea der Künigin Amazonum
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Thermodon; Themiscyra; Troy; Asia Minor
Description: This engraving depicts Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, riding a horse into battle with her lance pointed towards her enemies. She is depicted with her long hair sticking out from her helmet to identify her as a woman. Penthesilea, as Boccaccio describes, was a great warrior. She wanted to secure a strong heir for the Amazons, so she sought out Hector of Troy to provide her with an heir. She fought in a battle against the Greeks to prove herself worthy of bearing Hectors child. The enemies she is fighting against in the image are the Greek soldiers in the Trojan War. There is one man whose chest is impaled as he is falling off his horse.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18316
Language: ger
Source Name: Ein schöne Cronica oder Hystoribuch von den fürnämlichsten Weybern [A beautiful chronicle or history book of reputable women]
Parent Collection: 1543 Stayner; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18316_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; Amazons; Penthesilea; The Trojan War; Greek Mythology