Plate 138: Acmon and his Friends Changed into Birds (Comites Diomedis indignatione veneris in aves Diomedeas), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

This print, made by Antonio Tempesta, shows a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses, rendered with the graphic precision of an etching. It’s a relatively small work, but the details are intricate. Tempesta has used line after line to create shading and volume, giving depth to the scene. The image depicts Acmon and his friends being transformed into birds. Notice the vessel; it has become a hybrid form, part ship and part avian. It is through the etching process that Tempesta brings this transformation to life, line by line. This print wasn't produced as a unique work of art but rather as part of a series, which speaks to the rise of printmaking as a means of mass communication in early modern Europe. It’s a great reminder that art always exists within a broader social and economic context. The very act of making multiple impressions democratizes the image, taking it beyond the realm of singular, precious objects.