Artwork
Pyramus and Thisbe
Pyramus and Thisbe is a print by the Renaissance artist Hans Wechtlin. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1950.396
- Credit line
- John L. Severance Fund
About this work
Overview
Pyramus and Thisbe is a print depicting a tragic scene from ancient Roman mythology. The artwork illustrates a pivotal moment in the narrative of two star-crossed lovers.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows Pyramus and Thisbe, young lovers from feuding families, meeting in secret. Pyramus has stabbed himself upon finding Thisbe's bloody veil, believing she was killed by a lion.
Technique & Style
The composition borrows figures from Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving, with alterations such as replacing a natural spring with an ornate fountain topped with Cupid, indicating the artist's adaptation of existing work.
History & Provenance
The print is associated with Heinrich Wechtlin, who reworked Raimondi's original engraving. It is housed at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann, Johannes or Hans Wechtlin was a German Renaissance artist, active between at least 1502 and 1526, whose woodcuts are his only certainly surviving work.
