Chione wirt von Diana erschossen

Title

Chione wirt von Diana erschossen

Period

1550-1600;

Geographic

Mount Parnassus

Ancient Greece

Description

This engraving illustrates the story of Daedalion and his daughter Chione. Daedalion, the son of Lucifer, had a daughter whose beauty captivated thousands of suitors, including the gods Mercury and Apollo. The two gods had their way with Chione and both gods impregnated her. The bottom left corner of the engraving illustrates the god Mercury forcing himself upon Chione as she sleeps. After having two children born of Apollo and Mercury, Chione begins exclaiming that she is more beautiful than the goddess Diana. Diana is angered by these claims and punishes Chione. She shoots Chione through her tongue, which ends up killing her. This is illustrated in the engraving with Chione laying down as the arrow sticks out of her face with her father holding her up and two children holding on to her. Daedalion is depicted with a crown on his head. Diana is illustrated in the foreground of the engraving with the bow in her hand, as well as in the background of the engraving floating on a cloud. Daedalion was so upset by his daughter’s death that he plunged himself off Mount Parnassus. Before he hit the ground, Apollo transformed him into a hawk out of pity. Daedalion is illustrated in the top left corner of the engraving plummeting off the mountain with Apollo standing at the bottom.

Image Creator

Virgil Solis (Engraver)

Type

Text

Woodcut Engraving

Identifier

mta:23212

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_23212_OBJ.jpg

Collection

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Subject

Daedalion

Chione

Apollo

Mercury

Diana

Gods

Goddesses

Roman Mythology

Greek Mythology