Clymene Urging Phaeton to Find Helios 1589

Hendrick Goltzius made this print of Clymene and Phaeton with engraving on paper. It presents the moment in which Clymene urges her son, Phaeton, to seek out his father, Helios, the sun god. Made in the Netherlands, the image is an example of the period’s interest in classical mythology. Artists like Goltzius turned to Ovid’s "Metamorphoses," to create complex and dramatic scenes. But these images weren't simply illustrations. They offered artists the opportunity to display technical skill in representing the human figure, dramatic emotion, and complex narratives. The proliferation of printed images also reflects a changing art market, in which engravings played an important role in disseminating ideas. The historian helps us to understand not only the skill that went into this image, but also how new technologies of reproduction, such as engraving, played a key role in the history of art. Studying economic and institutional history allows us to see how these images shaped visual culture.