Alcyone vindt het lichaam van Ceyx c. 1636 - 1670

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger made this print, "Alcyone vindt het lichaam van Ceyx," in the Netherlands. It shows Alcyone, from Ovid's Metamorphoses, finding her husband's corpse washed ashore. The image creates meaning through classical references, like the architectural ruins, and the dramatic, theatrical lighting. Van de Passe was working during the Dutch Golden Age, a time of great economic prosperity and cultural flourishing. Amsterdam was a major center for trade and the arts, and prints like this one were popular among the middle class. This print uses an allegorical scene to comment on the social structures of its own time. Scenes of death and mourning allowed people to reflect on human emotions and to contemplate the brevity of life. The art historian can understand this work better by researching the social and institutional contexts in which it was made, and considering the cultural values and beliefs that shaped its creation.