Plate 11: Phaeton before Apollo (Funestas ad Phoebum fundit preces.), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

This etching by Italian artist Antonio Tempesta from 1606 depicts the mythological scene of Phaeton, son of the sun god Helios, pleading with Apollo for permission to drive the sun chariot. The image captures the dramatic moment of Phaeton's request, with the sun god in his chariot above him. The detail and intricate lines of the engraving showcase Tempesta's skill in depicting both the divine and the human. This print, a part of a series illustrating Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, reflects the popular interest in classical mythology during the Renaissance.