Apollo and the Niobids 1700 - 1800

This anonymous etching, titled "Apollo and the Niobids," depicts a scene from Greek mythology. Apollo, the god of the sun, music, and poetry, stands above a cloud, holding a bow and arrow, and aims at the Niobids, children of Niobe, who stand in a group below, seemingly fleeing in terror. This etching is a fine example of the use of linework to create a sense of movement and emotion in a scene from ancient mythology. The work dates from the 17th or 18th century and is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.