Von Nyobe der künigin theban · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Nyobe der künigin theban
Subject: Important Queens; Famous Women; Latona; Hubris; Gods; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Niobe; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Thebes; Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving depicts Niobe, the daughter of King Tantalus of Phrygia, on the right side of the engraving wearing a crown. We know that this is Niobe as the creator engraved her name beside her head to identify her. Niobe had become proud of the fact that she had more children than Latona, mother to Diana and Apollo. As punishment for her hubris against the goddess, all of Niobe’s children, as told by Boccaccio, had been killed by the plague. Her children are illustrated dead in the centre of the engraving. Grieved by the loss of all their children, Niobe’s husband, King Amphion of Thebes, killed himself with a knife. Amphion is depicted on the left-hand side of the engraving as he pierces his body with the knife. His name is engraved just above his head.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:17969
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_17969_OBJ.png