Heliades in Alberbaum · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Heliades in Alberbaum
Period: 1550-1600;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Northern Italy; Po River
Description: This engraving depicts the three sisters of Phaethon, the Heliades, transforming into poplar trees. The sisters had just learned of the death of their brother and are illustrated standing around his tomb. When they begin to mourn for his death, the sisters notice that their legs have stiffened and begin turning into trunks of trees and their arms into branches. The Heliades’ mother, Clymene, is depicted fearfully clinging onto one of the sisters to stop the transformation from happening. Another relative that deeply grieved for Phaethon was Cycnus. He too had a transformation after hearing the news of Phaethon's death, but instead of a poplar tree like the Heliades, Cycnus transformed into a swan. Cycnus in the form of a swan is illustrated in the background of the engraving, resting on the water.
Image Creator: Virgil Solis (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:21049
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_21049_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Ovid's Metamorphoses
Subject: Transformation; The Heliades; Greek Mythology; Roman Mythology; Phaeton; Clymene; Cycnus; Poplar Tree

Media: mta_21049_OBJ.jpg