The Death of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra
Engraving, part of a set of 12 small, oval prints of varied subjects, representing scenes of Ancient Roman history or mythology, created by Étienne Delaune before 1573. This print depicts a naked woman, wearing a crown, in the center, running towards the right, likely to prevent two armed soldiers, depicted on the right, from entering the room. On the left, a man with beard sits on a bed while, on the right, behind the soldiers, a woman hides behind a doorway. The subject of this print might be Clytemnestra trying to impede the death of her lover, Aegisthus; the two soldiers would then correspond to Oreste and Pylade, while the hiding woman would be Electra who, according to certain versions of the stoy, instigated the death of both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Death of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Date: before 1573
- Medium: Engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 1 5/16 × 1 11/16 in. (3.3 × 4.3 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1947
- Object Number: 47.139.55
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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