The Story of Apollo and Diana: Britomartis attempting to escape Minos, jumping into the sea
Engraving, part of a set of six scenes illustrating the story of Apollo and Diana, created by Etienne Delaune between 1547 and 1548. This scene represents simultaneously two separate episodes, a common feature in the prints by Delaune. In the center of the first plane, a crowned man stands next to the water, his hands raised towards the sky, and cupid standing to his left, looking up at him. In front of him, in the water, is a woman, carrying a bow and quiver, and her forehead flanked by a small crescent moon that adorns her hair, who swims to escape him, in an area enclosed by fishing nets. Behind him a group of nymphs runs away from him, seemingly also commenting the scene. Further away, on the second plane, to the right, sailors in a boat rescue the body of a woman, trapped in a fishing net. Although the inscription under the illustration references Tityus and Leto, the scenes illustrated represent the death of Britomartis as she attempted to escape Minos.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Story of Apollo and Diana: Britomartis attempting to escape Minos, jumping into the sea
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Date: 1547–48
- Medium: Engraving: First state
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 3 1/4 × 4 3/16 in. (8.2 × 10.7 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
- Object Number: 31.77.5
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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