[Arachne of Colophon Committing Suicide by Hanging] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [Arachne of Colophon Committing Suicide by Hanging]
Subject: Wool Work; Nets; Important Women; Famous Women; Minerva; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Arachne; Weaving
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Colophon; Modern day Turkey
Description: This illuminated image depicts a woman named Arachne hanging herself. Arachne is famous for having discovered the uses of woven cloth, and for being the first to think of making nets. There is a woven net depicted on the right side of the image. Arachne is also known for having challenged Minerva to a weaving competition. When Arachne lost the competition, she killed herself as a result.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:18432
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence
Image: mta_18432_OBJ.jpg