Hypsipyle der frawen und Künigin Lemni · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Hypsipyle der frawen und Künigin Lemni
Subject: King Thaos; Important Women; Famous Women; Greek Legend; Hypsipyle
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Aegean Sea; Ancient Greece; Lemnos
Description: Hypsipyle and her father, King Thaos of Lemnos, are depicted on the right side of the engraving. Hypsipyle is depicted speaking with her father as she tells him that the women of Lemnos are planning to turn on all the men of the city and kill them. Boccaccio explains that Hypsipyle warns her father of the crime so that she can help him escape. There is a woman on the left side of the engraving with a sword in her left hand and a man’s head in her right as she carries out the plan to kill the men of the city. Later in life, Hypsipyle had a ward named Archemorus. He is depicted in the centre of the engraving, lying on the ground with a snake biting into his chest. This kills the child, and Hypsipyle is illustrated with her hands in the air as she grieves for him.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18271
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_18271_OBJ.jpg