Apollo tending the flocks of Admetus, Apollo seated holding a lyre and flanked by a cow and a dog, a serpent winding around a dead tree at right

Art Historical Context

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, this engraving, titled *Apollo Tending the Flocks of Admetus*, a poignant moment from Greek mythology. Dated around 1515–27, it depicts the god Apollo seated gracefully with his lyre, flanked by a loyal cow and dog from King Admetus's herd, while a serpent coils ominously around a barren tree at right. Created by engravers Marco Dente, with involvement from publishers Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi and Antonio Salamanca, the small trimmed sheet (4½ × 7⅛ in.) exemplifies Renaissance printmaking's precision and narrative depth. The ...