Mercury Silencing Battus 

Herman van Swanevelt, a Dutch artist working in Rome, created "Mercury Silencing Battus" as an etching in the 17th century. Swanevelt lived in a time and place where the classical world was seen as an idealized past, full of moral lessons. This print illustrates a story from Ovid's "Metamorphoses," where Mercury silences Battus for betraying a confidence. Mercury, identifiable by his winged helmet, transforms Battus into a stone as punishment. What does it mean to turn a person into an inanimate object? The story makes us consider themes of loyalty, betrayal, and divine justice. It also raises questions about power dynamics. Mercury, a god, has the power to punish a mere mortal for his actions. Through its idyllic depiction of the Italian countryside, the print seems to invite viewers to reflect on nature’s indifference to human drama, and perhaps to question the power structures that govern their own lives.