Deianeira receiving the poisoned tunic from Nessus, and the wounded centaur falling to the ground at left
ca. 1650–1700
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 13 1/16 × 8 13/16 in. (33.1 × 22.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.7719
Art Historical Context
This dramatic engraving captures a pivotal moment from Greek mythology: Deianeira, wife of the hero Hercules receives a poisoned tunic from the dying centaur Nessus. left, the wounded Nessus collapses after being by Hercules in a failed to abduct Deian. The scene, likely based on a composition by the Baroque master Peter Rubens, embodies the intense emotion and dynamic movement characteristic of his style, even in reproductive print form. Created by an anonymous engr around 1650–1700, it reflects the 17th-century fascination with classical myths as vehicles for exploring human passion, betraya...
About the Artist
Anonymous|Peter Paul Rubens
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...