Halcyone bitt Junonem

Title

Halcyone bitt Junonem

Period

1550-1600;

Geographic

Thessaly

Ancient Greece

Description

This engraving illustrates Alcyone, the wife of King Ceyx, kneeling at the temple of Juno praying for her husband’s return from sea. King Ceyx had traveled by sea to seek out the Oracle at Claros and ended up dying in a shipwreck due to a storm. Alcyone continuously prayed at the temple to Juno in the hopes that her husband would soon return. Juno is depicted at the altar with her sacred animal, the peacock, at her side. Juno decides to reveal to Alcyone that her husband is dead by sending Iris, the messenger of the gods, to the god of sleep to reveal Ceyx’s fate through a dream. Juno is depicted on a cloud in the background of the engraving giving these commands to Iris. There is a ship in the background to symbolize Ceyx at sea.

Image Creator

Virgil Solis (Engraver)

Type

Text

Woodcut Engraving

Identifier

mta:23216

Language

ger

Source Name

P. Ouidij Nasonis, deß Sinnreichen und hochverstendigen Poeten, Metamorphoses oder Verwandlung, mit schönen figuren gezieret, auch kurzen Argumenten und außlegungen erkläret, und in Teutsche Reymen gebracht, durch Johann Spreng von Augspurg [Publius Ovidius Naso, the Ingenious and Highly Understandable Poet, Metamorphoses or Transformations, Adorned with Beautiful Images, and also descriptions of Short Arguments and Explanations, Brought into German Rhymes by Johann Spreng of Augsburg]

Parent Collection

1564 Frankfurt Spreng

Image

mta_23216_OBJ.jpg

Collection

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Subject

Ceyx

Alcyone

Juno

Iris

Gods

Goddesses

Roman Mythology

Greek Mythology