Aragne Colophonia muliere · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Aragne Colophonia muliere
Subject: Famous Women; Weaving; Minerva; Goddesses; Greek Mythology; Transformation; Arachne; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Colophon; Lydia
Description: This engraving depicts Arachne hanging herself. There is a loom on the right side of the engraving and a net to the left of the loom. Boccaccio explains that Arachne is known by ancient writers as being the one who discovered the uses of woven wool and the first to make nets. Arachne became too confident in her wool work and challenged Minerva to a weaving competition. After the goddess had won, Arachne hung herself as depicted in the engraving. There is a spider on a spider-web on the left side of the engraving as Arachne is said to have been transformed into a spider after killing herself.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18139
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18139_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Weaving; Minerva; Goddesses; Greek Mythology; Transformation; Arachne; Important Women