[Scylla Offers her Father’s Purple Locks to King Minos] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [Scylla Offers her Father’s Purple Locks to King Minos]
Period: 1550-1600;
Geographic: Europe; Spain; Italy; Ancient Greece; Crete; Megara
Description: This image depicts a love driven Scyla (Scylla), the daughter of King Niso (Nisus), on her knees with her hand raised in the air holding an offering. The offering she holds is a lock of purple hair from her father’s head. The purple hair is said to have protected the city of Megara and kept it safe against enemies. Scylla is overcome by love for the Cretan King Minos who is attempting to attack her own city. She betrays her father and pulls the lock of purple hair from her father's head and is shown in the image offering it to King Minos to display her love for him. King Minos is depicted with his crown among the group of soldiers, looking down on Scylla.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:20344
Language: spa
Source Name: Las Transformaciones de Ouidio [The Transformations of Ovid]
Parent Collection: Las Transformaciones de Ouidio. Anonymous woodcut engravings (1589)
Image: mta_20344_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Ovid's Metamorphoses
Subject: King Minos; Greek Mythology; Betrayal; Transformation