Voorstelling van Arion op de dolfijn, 1577 1577 - 1578

Antoni van Leest's "Voorstelling van Arion op de dolfijn" (1577-1578) is a small-scale woodcut illustrating the Greek myth of Arion, a poet and musician who was saved from pirates by a dolphin. The detailed drawing depicts Arion playing his lyre while riding on the back of a dolphin, set against a seascape with a distant island. The composition is characteristic of 16th-century Northern European woodcuts, featuring intricate detail and a clear narrative focus. The artwork's small dimensions suggest it may have been part of a book or printed broadside, likely intended for a popular audience interested in classical mythology.