A detailed 1606 etching by Antonio Tempesta illustrating the mythological encounter between Morpheus and Alcyone from Ovid's Metamorphoses.

This etching by Antonio Tempesta depicts a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The narrative follows the god of dreams, Morpheus, who assumes the form of the drowned King Ceyx to inform his wife, Alcyone, of his death. Tempesta, a prolific printmaker of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods, demonstrates his command of the etching needle through precise cross-hatching and clear compositional staging.

The composition is divided into two distinct zones. On the left, the spectral figure of Morpheus stands in the guise of Ceyx, his posture conveying a sense of urgent communication. To the right, Alcyone reclines upon a bed, her expression one of sudden awakening and distress. The background includes a small framed vignette showing a shipwreck, which provides the necessary context for the dream sequence. The architectural elements, such as the bed frame and the wall, are rendered with a focus on structural clarity, typical of Tempesta's illustrative approach to classical literature.

Tempesta was known for his extensive series of prints illustrating Ovid, which circulated widely across Europe. His work often prioritised narrative legibility, ensuring that the viewer could easily identify the mythological subjects through traditional iconography. The use of light and shadow, achieved through varying densities of line, creates a sense of volume in the figures and depth within the chamber. This print reflects the technical standards of seventeenth-century Italian printmaking, where the focus remained on the clarity of the line and the faithful representation of the source text. The inclusion of the Latin inscription at the base confirms the subject matter, consistent with the pedagogical and artistic goals of Tempesta's broader body of work.