The Farnese Bull with Dirce, Zethus and Amphion
1581
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 36.9 × 27.2 cm (14 9/16 × 10 3/4 in.); Sheet, timed within platemark: 39.8 × 27.2 cm (15 11/16 × 10 3/4 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
229057
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Farnese Bull with Dirce, Zethus and Amphion*, a masterful 1581 engraving by Diana Scultori, one of the earliest known female printmakers in Renaissance Italy. This intricate work captures a dramatic moment from Greek mythology: the brothers Zethus and Amphion binding the cruel queen Dirce to a raging bull as vengeance, inspired by the renowned ancient Roman marble sculpture from the Farnese collection. Scultori, active in Mantua and Rome, excelled in reproductive prints that brought classical antiquity to a wider audience during the Renaissance revival of ancient art. Crafted as a...