Niobe voor haar overmoed gestraft 1677 - 1755

"Niobe voor haar overmoed gestraft" (Niobe Punished for Her Pride), a 17th-century drawing by Elias van Nijmegen, depicts the tragic story of Niobe, a queen who boasted about her children's superiority to those of Leto. As punishment, Apollo and Artemis, Leto's children, slayed Niobe's children. The drawing showcases van Nijmegen's mastery of detail and his ability to convey emotion through the figures' poses and expressions. The drawing, executed in pen and brown ink, highlights the drama of the story and the devastating consequences of Niobe's pride. The work demonstrates the popularity of classical mythology as a subject matter in 17th-century Dutch art.