Procri Zephali coniuge · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Procri Zephali coniuge
Subject: Cephalus; Marriage; Important Women; Famous Women; Procris
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Thessaly
Description: When Cephalus was told that his wife (Procris) would abandon him in exchange for money and treasures, Cephalus began testing his wife. Cephalus would disguise himself and offer her gold and treasures in exchange for her love. This scene is depicted on the right side of the engraving. Procris rejected the disguised Cephalus multiple times, however, she eventually accepted his treasures. In this scene she is holding his hand and looking at him lovingly. Procris ended up regretting what she had done to her husband. To punish herself, Procris went to live in the woods. Cephalus had been hunting one day and had mistaken his wife for an animal and shot her. Procris is visible behind the grass in the background of the engraving while Cephalus is depicted with a cross bow in his hands after shooting her.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18147
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18147_OBJ.png