Niobe der künigin Thebanorum · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Niobe der künigin Thebanorum
Subject: Niobe; Hubris; Important Women; Famous Women; Important Queens; King Amphion; Gods; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology
Period: 1500-1550;
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. Niobe became proud of the fact that she had more children than Latona, the mother of Diana and Apollo. As punishment for her hubris against the goddess, all of Niobe’s children had been killed by the plague. Her children are depicted 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 side of the engraving as he pierces his body with the knife.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18270
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
Image: mta_18270_OBJ.jpg