Penelope standing in the centre by a large weaving table amongst her women spinning and weaving
ca. 1540–50
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 7 11/16 x 6 1/2 in. (19.6 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1962
Accession Number
62.635.900
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this enchanting engraving from around 1540–50, titled *Penelope standing in the by a large weaving table her women spinning and weaving Master FG—likely Francesco Primaticcio, a leading Mannerist artist of the Fontainebleau School—dep the legendary heroine from Homer's *Odyssey*. Penelope stands poised amid her industrious female attendants, who operate looms and spinning wheels in a bustling domestic scene. Subtle details, like playful cats weaving through the composition, add a touch of everyday warmth to the mythological narrative, symbolizing Penelope's cunning fidelity as she unravels ...