[A Wolf Ravages a Herd of Cattle]

Title

[A Wolf Ravages a Herd of Cattle]

Period

1550-1600;

Geographic

Trachin

Ancient Greece

Description

This engraving illustrates a wolf on the banks of a shore emerging from the waters, attacking a herd of cattle. The wolf is thought by Peleus to have been sent by the Nereid, Psamathe, in punishment for killing his brother (and Psamathe’s son), Phocus. Peleus prays to the Nereid in attempt to stop the wolf from ravaging the cattle and the herdsmen. This is illustrated in the background of the engraving, as the sea-goddess is emerged out of the water and Peleus is depicted standing on land facing her. Psamathe does not listen to Peleus’ prayers, and allows the wolf to continue ravaging the cattle. Peleus’ wife, Thetis, convinced Psamathe to forgive Peleus and to stop the wolf by turning it into stone.

Image Creator

Virgil Solis (Engraver)

Type

Text

Woodcut Engraving

Identifier

mta:11835

Language

spa

Source Name

Las Transformaciones de Ovidio en lengua Española, repartidas en quinze libros, con las Allegorias al fin dellos, y sus figuras, para prouecho de los Artifices [The Transformations of Ovid in the Spanish language, distributed in fifteen books, with the allegories at the end of them and their figures, for the benefit of the creators]

Parent Collection

Las Transformaciones de Ovidio en lengua Española. Woodcut engravings by Virgil Solis (1595)

Image

mta_11835_OBJ.jpg

Collection

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Subject

Nereids

Transformation

Roman Mythology

Greek Mythology

Gods

Goddesses