De Harmonia: Siciliana: de linaje regal · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De Harmonia: Siciliana: de linaje regal
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Syracuse
Description: This engraving depicts a young servant girl getting stabbed in the chest with a sword by a man standing above her. This young servant girl is disguised to look exactly like Harmonia, the daughter of Gelon (brother to the king of Syracuse). Boccaccio explains that there was a rebellion in Syracuse against nobility, and before the murderers could get to Harmonia, her nurse disguised this young woman to look like Harmonia. The real Harmonia is depicted on the right side of the engraving. The creator engraved her name, written as Armonia, above her head to identify her. There is a man swinging a sword above his head which appears to be heading in Harmonia’s direction, however, Boccaccio explains that Harmonia hid from the murderers until they killed the look-alike servant.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:16684
Language: spa
Source Name: De Las Mujeres Ilustres [On Famous Women]
Parent Collection: 1494 Mujeres Ilustres; 1494 Mujeres Ilustres
Image: mta_16684_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Rebellion; Murder; Famous Women; Nobility; Harmonia