Argia Polinicis des künigs gemahel · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Argia Polinicis des künigs gemahel
Subject: Polynices; Important Women; Famous Women; War; Eteocles; Greek Legend; Argia
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Thebes
Description: Argia, the daughter of King Adrastus of Argos, is depicted on the right side of the engraving holding the dead body of her husband, King Polynices of Thebes. Boccaccio explains that Polynices had fought in a war against his brother Eteocles and died on the battlefield. Argia snuck herself onto the battlefield after the war to see her husband’s body. She is depicted holding up his lifeless body and hugging it. The left side of the image depicts the other men who had fought and died in this war. There is one man who is presumably wounded and is crawling on his hands and knees. There is a camp with tents set up in the background on the right side and the city of Thebes on the left. Boccaccio believes her to be praiseworthy as it took courage to risk her life in order to find her husband on the battlefield.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18302
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; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18302_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Polynices; Important Women; Famous Women; War; Eteocles; Greek Legend; Argia