The death of Orpheus: Orpheus is seen defending himself on one knee against the Thracian women, who assault him with clubs, while a child escapes to the left. Heliogravure after an engraving.

Reference:
43715i
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Description

On the sky towards the middle appears a mark which is probably the monogram of the artist

Orpheus was the Ancient Greek legendary hero endowed with superhuman musical skills. Orpheus was killed by the women of Thrace. The motive and manner of his death vary in different accounts, that of Aeschylus says that Maenads urged by Dionysus tore him to pieces in a Bacchic orgy because he preferred the worship of the rival god Appollo

Publication/Creation

Berlin : Imperial Press

Physical description

1 print : heliogravure ; image 14 x 20.8 cm

Lettering

Further lettering on an attached tag: 5. Unknown engraver, probably North-Italian: Fifteenth century The death of Orpheus. Ottley I p. 403, Passavant V p. 47, no. 120. Kunsthalle Hamburg, from the Ricardi collection, Florence, and the Harzen Collection, Hamburg ...

Reference

Wellcome Collection 43715i

Reproduction note

A drawing of a nearly similar composition, attributed to Andrea Mantegna was recorded in the possession of the Countess of Roseberry. The motive was borrowed by Dürer in his engraving known as the "Effects of jealousy"

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