Plate 70: Cephalus and Procris, from 'Ovid's Metamorphoses'

Art Historical Context

In this delicate etching a wooded landscape unfolds with layered trees, dense foliage, and a few birds in flight. At the center, a reclining female figure rests on the ground, while a kneeling male figure with a bow covers his face in apparent distress; a second figure leans in close, and hunting equipment lies nearby. Fine, precise lines define the forms and create depth, all rendered in black ink on paper with no added color. This work is Plate 70: Cephalus and Procris from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, created by Johann Wilhelm Baur in 1641 as an etching. Baur specialized in small-scale narrative prints that brought classical stories to life through carefully observed natural settings and expressive figures. The print belongs to a larger series illustrating episodes from the ancient Roman poem, offering viewers a vivid glimpse of its dramatic tale through the artist’s refined technique. Its intimate scale invites close looking at both the mythic moment and the surrounding landscape.

About the Artist

Johann Wilhelm Baur · 1607–1642

Johann Wilhelm Baur was a German draughtsman, painter, and printmaker who came of age in the early seventeenth century and built his reputation through the production of finely detailed illustrations and miniatures. Though the precise details of his training remain incompletely documented, Baur developed his skills in the tradition of German and Northern European graphic art, showing influences fr...