Medea Kills Her Two Children by Jason (Pour qui d'Absyrte a le sang repandu, fait que du sien le tort lui soit rendu...), from "Jason and the Golden Fleece"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/16 × 9 3/8 in. (16 × 23.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2018.839.53.6
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures a pivotal moment from the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece, showing the sorceress Medea slaying her children in an act of vengeance against her unfaithful husband. Created in 1563 by engraver René Boyvin after designs by Leonard Thiry, the print belongs to a narrative series that retells the ancient tale through vivid, sequential images. Its compact format—roughly the size of a small book page—made it ideal for private study and collection during the Renaissance. Produced in France at the height of the Fontainebleau school’s influence, the work reflects the er...
About the Artist
René Boyvin|Leonard Thiry · 1525–1580
French, Angers ca. 1525–1598 or 1625/6 Angers