Plate 15: The Daughter of Croneus Changed into a Cow (Coronis in cornicem transformatur), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

This is Antonio Tempesta’s, Plate 15: The Daughter of Croneus Changed into a Cow, an engraving dating back to the late 16th or early 17th century. The composition, dominated by sharply defined lines, captures a moment of dynamic transformation. The figures, rendered with meticulous detail, exhibit a clear contrast in form and texture. Note the fluid lines suggesting movement in the water compared with the rigid definition of the figures. This contrast destabilizes any fixed reading. We see not just a mythological scene, but an exploration of changing forms, with the artist using line and texture to highlight the instability of identity and the metamorphic processes that challenge our understanding of permanence. The visual language of the artwork, with its precise lines and careful arrangement, serves not just to illustrate a myth, but to engage with broader philosophical questions about change and being.