Plate 112: Agamemnon Sacrificing Iphigenia (Iphigenia Agamemnoni immolanda, à Diana (cerva eius in locum substituta) surripitur), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

Antonio Tempesta's 1606 engraving, "Plate 112: Agamemnon Sacrificing Iphigenia," illustrates a scene from Ovid's "Metamorphoses," depicting the Greek hero Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the goddess Diana, who replaces her with a deer. The intricate detail of the engraving highlights the dramatic moment, with Agamemnon kneeling in prayer, while Diana and Iphigenia ascend to the heavens. Tempesta's masterful use of line and shadow creates a sense of both tragedy and divine intervention. The work exemplifies the 17th-century Italian penchant for dramatic illustration of classical literature.