Cy apres sensuit histoire de ypermestre royne des argivriens · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit histoire de ypermestre royne des argivriens
Subject: Hypermnestra; King Danaus; Lynceus; Lineus; Important Women; Famous Women
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Argos; Ancient Greece
Description: This illumination depicts Hypermnestra, daughter of King Danaus of The Argives, helping her lover escape from her father’s wrath. Boccaccio explains that King Danaus wanted to secure his throne by eliminating any possible heirs. He married each of his daughters off to his many nephews and instructed them to kill their grooms after the wedding. All but Hypermnestra followed through on these orders, as she fell in love with her new groom and cousin. She helped him escape, as illustrated in the image. Her husband, Lynceus (also known as Linus), is depicted in a brown outfit looking at his wife after being led out of the castle to escape. Hypermnestra’s father is illustrated coming out of the castle door about to grab onto his daughter. She was put into prison by her father for disobeying him, however, Lynceus eventually defeats his father-in-law and releases his wife from prison.
Image Creator: Master of Boethius (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:25560
Language: frm
Source Name: Des cleres et nobles femmes, De claris mulieribus in an anonymous French translation
Parent Collection: 1410 Paris
Image: mta_25560_OBJ.jpg