Galatea escaping Polyphemus; he is seated on a rock holding a staff and pipes and looking towards Galatea at right riding a shell pulled by two dolphins, Cupid flying above 1510 - 1532

Marco Dente's "Galatea escaping Polyphemus" is a 16th-century engraving that depicts a scene from Ovid's "Metamorphoses". Galatea, a sea nymph, rides a seashell pulled by dolphins to escape the advances of the cyclops Polyphemus. Cupid, the god of love, flies above, adding to the mythical atmosphere. Dente skillfully uses line to create a dynamic composition, emphasizing the swiftness of Galatea's escape and the frustration of Polyphemus. The artwork, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, exemplifies the artistic style of the Italian Renaissance.