Plate 137: Canens Searching for Pics (Uxor Pici nomine Canens in auram mutatur), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

Antonio Tempesta created this print, Plate 137 from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', during a period of intense religious and political conflict in Europe. Here, Canens is depicted in a moment of transformation, searching for her husband Picus. This narrative, drawn from classical mythology, presents a compelling lens through which to consider the roles and agency of women in the 16th and 17th centuries. Consider Canens' emotional state: her grief, her determination, and ultimately, her transformation into air. Does this image empower or diminish her? The act of metamorphosis itself reflects broader societal anxieties about change, identity, and the natural world. Tempesta invites us to meditate on the interplay between personal experience and universal themes of loss, change, and the search for meaning.