Pasiphae falling in love with the bull sent by Neptune
Etienne Delaune French
Not on view
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 two women kneeling, on the lower right, in front of a status of Diana, in the center. On the left, diagonally-across the statue from the women, is a bull lying on the floor. Although the subject of this print is not completely clear, it is likely that it consists of a representation of Pasiphae falling in love with the bull sent by Neptune, although it is Venus (not Diana, in the statue, pointing an arrow towards the two women) who punishes Pasiphae in the original story. The composition in this print is very similar to another print in the series, likely depicting Neptune falling in love with Medusa.
