Methamorphoseos vulgare 1501

Curator: Shall we turn our attention to this rather fascinating print, a page from Ovid’s *Metamorphoseos vulgare*, published way back in 1501? Editor: Oh, my. What a striking, rather theatrical scene! The figures feel so deliberately posed, don't they? And the heavy, dark lines evoke a strong, almost unsettling mood. Curator: Indeed. The artwork employs engraving, a technique that lends itself beautifully to the narrative drive here. It captures a scene—the abduction of Proserpina— steeped in classical mythology. The sharp contrast certainly gives it an almost dramatic quality, suitable for such a fraught moment in Ovid’s tales. Editor: Abduction is certainly putting it mildly! Tell me more about what you see, and I'll see what strikes me! There's a dynamic sense of pursuit and resistance, isn't there? Curator: Precisely. The image depicts Pluto carrying Proserpina away in his chariot, against her will. Look closely at the detail: there's a nymph, Cyane, witnessing the event, and she will soon dissolve into a pool of tears as she mourns the abduction. A sort of pre-Raphaelite moment avant la lettre. Editor: Those angular bodies give it a somewhat archaic feel—despite being created during the Italian Renaissance. So interesting how different artistic styles and techniques can simultaneously exist and inform one another. Is it just me, or does Proserpina’s expression seem…resigned, somehow? Curator: I perceive a kind of theatrical acceptance there, too. And note the presence of other nymphs witnessing the spectacle, emphasizing the public, almost performative nature of the abduction. Renaissance artists were keen on portraying scenes with multiple, engaged witnesses—creating a layered narrative within the artwork. Editor: Layered indeed. Though disturbing, it invites us to reflect on power, choice, and transformation. Seeing this engraving, ripped from the pages of this 1501 book, it reminds me that while mythology may seem like ancient history, it is always echoing into the present. Curator: Very well said! This glimpse of metamorphosis has given me more than a new point of view, perhaps a transformation!