Zeus, der König der Götter, verwandelt Lycaon, König von Arkadien, in der Renaissance-Sgraffito-Kunst am Stadtplatz 33 in Gmünd, Niederösterreich, während er seinen Palast mit Gewittern zerstört. Die Szene aus der antiken griechischen Mythologie stammt aus einem Holzschnitt von Virgil Solis (1514-62), der eine Episode darstellt, die der römische Dichter Ovid in Buch 1 seines Erzählgedicht die Metamorphosen erzählt hat.
4020 x 2675 px | 34 x 22,6 cm | 13,4 x 8,9 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
3. September 2008
Ort:
Gmünd, Lower Austria, Austria
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Dieses Bild kann kleinere Mängel aufweisen, da es sich um ein historisches Bild oder ein Reportagebild handel
Gmünd, Lower Austria, Austria: Lycaon the Wolfman … Zeus, King of the Gods, turns Lycaon, King of Arcadia, into a wolf in this Renaissance sgraffito art on the late 16th century front of Stadtplatz 33, one of two remarkable ‘sgraffito houses’ overlooking the town square. The scene is derived from a woodcut by German draughtsman and printmaker Virgil Solis, depicting a scene from Book 1 of the narrative poem The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid. According to ancient Greek legend, Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves either for serving him a meal made from human flesh, or for sacrificing a boy and sprinkling his blood on an altar. In the version related by Ovid, Lycaon doubted the god’s immortality and served him the part-roasted flesh of a prisoner. Zeus, enraged, devastated Lycaon’s palace and transformed the fleeing king into a wolf. The Metamorphoses is seen as Ovid’s greatest work. Over 11, 995 lines and 15 books, Ovid chronicled the history of the world within a loose framework blending real events with hundreds of myths and legends. The poem has inspired writers such as Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare, and scenes from it have often been depicted in sculpture, painting and music. Virgilius or Virgil Solis (1514-62) was born and died in Nuremberg, Germany. He produced prints from engravings to sell, as well as woodcuts to illustrate books. His woodcuts from Ovid were published in many different editions. Sgraffito is the ancient artistic technique of scratching or cutting away parts of a surface layer of plaster, stucco or paint to expose a different colour or texture beneath. The remarkable art on the ‘sgraffito houses’ in Gmünd’s town square are typical of works commissioned by wealthy citizens seeking to demonstrate their high level of education and erudition. D0555.A6641
