Galatea escaping Polyphemus; he is seated on a rock holding a staff and pipes and looking towards Galatea at right riding a shell pulled by two dolphins, Cupid flying above
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 4 1/4 × 6 11/16 in. (10.8 × 17 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.570.296
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology, drawn from Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. The sea nymph Galatea flees on a shell chariot pulled by dolphins, while the cyclops Polyphemus watches from a rocky perch, his staff and pipes at hand. Cupid hovers above, underscoring the theme of unrequited love. The compact composition emphasizes movement and emotion, with the contrast between the graceful marine figures and the solitary, powerful form of Polyphemus. Created in Italy between roughly 1515 and 1600, the print is associated with Marco Dente, an engraver active in the circle...