Scylla and Glaucus - Antonio Tempesta

A seventeenth-century etching by Antonio Tempesta depicting the mythological encounter between the sea god Glaucus and the nymph Scylla.

This etching by Antonio Tempesta depicts a moment from Ovid's Metamorphoses, specifically the encounter between the sea god Glaucus and the nymph Scylla. Tempesta, a Florentine artist known for his prolific output of prints, captures the narrative with clear, descriptive lines. Glaucus, now transformed into a merman with a fish-like tail, gestures towards himself while addressing Scylla, who sits upon a rock. The composition is balanced, with the figures placed in the foreground against a simplified coastal backdrop.

Tempesta utilised a technique of hatching and cross-hatching to define the musculature of the figures and the texture of the water. The print includes a Latin inscription at the base, which identifies the subject matter and provides context for the scene. This work belongs to a larger series of illustrations based on Ovid, reflecting the interest in classical mythology that permeated European art during the early seventeenth century. The artist's approach to the human form and the integration of mythological elements into a natural setting are characteristic of his style. The lines are precise, allowing for a clear reading of the narrative despite the small scale of the plate. The work demonstrates the technical proficiency of Tempesta in the medium of etching, a craft he helped to popularise through his extensive series of prints depicting battles, animals, and biblical or mythological stories. This particular print offers a glimpse into the way classical literature was visualised for a contemporary audience, using established iconographic conventions to convey the transformation and the emotional tension between the two figures.