Erysichthon Selling His Daughter - Antonio Tempesta

An etching by Antonio Tempesta depicting a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses, showing the king Erysichthon selling his daughter Mestra.

This etching by Antonio Tempesta depicts a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses, specifically the myth of Erysichthon. The narrative follows the king who, having offended the goddess Ceres, is cursed with insatiable hunger. To fund his gluttony, he repeatedly sells his daughter, Mestra, into slavery. The print captures the moment of transaction, where the father exchanges his daughter for coin. Tempesta, a prolific printmaker of the Roman school, employs a clear, narrative style typical of his illustrative work. The figures are rendered with precise, rhythmic hatching that defines their classical drapery and the surrounding terrain.

In the foreground, the three figures occupy a shallow space, their gestures conveying the gravity of the exchange. The daughter stands to the right, her posture resigned, while the father and the buyer engage in the transaction. The background features a simplified, rolling landscape that provides context without distracting from the central human drama. The inclusion of Latin text at the base of the image, 'Diuerfas induta formas Mitra, diuerfis diuenditur', identifies the specific episode, noting how Mestra is sold repeatedly while assuming different forms. This work demonstrates Tempesta's ability to condense complex mythological narratives into a single, legible composition. His technical approach to etching allows for a balance between the figures and the environment, maintaining a focus on the emotional weight of the scene. The print is part of a larger series illustrating Ovid's tales, reflecting the period's interest in classical literature and the dissemination of such stories through the medium of print. The clarity of the line work and the balanced composition are characteristic of Tempesta's contribution to early seventeenth-century Italian graphic arts.