{"product_id":"original-16th-century-renaissance-woodcut-narcissus-at-the-fountain","title":"Original 16th-Century Renaissance Woodcut — Narcissus at the Fountain","description":"\u003cp\u003eOvid’s Metamorphoses | Germany, 16th Century | Associated with Virgil Solis\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn original 16th-century Renaissance woodcut depicting one of the most famous scenes from classical mythology: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNarcissus discovering his own reflection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe story appears in Book III of Ovid’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNarcissus was the son of the river god Cephisus and the nymph Liriope and was renowned for his extraordinary beauty. Many fell in love with him, but Narcissus rejected their affection—including that of the nymph Echo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHis pride ultimately brought about his destruction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile exhausted from hunting, Narcissus came upon a clear and undisturbed spring. As he bent over the water to drink, he saw a beautiful face staring back at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt was his own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnable to recognize the image as merely a reflection, Narcissus became hopelessly captivated by it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe present woodcut captures this celebrated moment, showing the young hunter kneeling beside the water and gazing toward the pool while the wooded landscape and hunting imagery surrounding him establish the setting of Ovid’s story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal 16th-Century Latin on the Reverse\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRemarkably, substantial original Latin letterpress survives on the reverse—and directly identifies the subject.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe text begins:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Liriope Nympha, ex amne Cephiso procreabat Narcissum, insigni forma iuvenem…”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt identifies \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiriope\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the river \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCephisus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and their son \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNarcissus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, describing him as a youth of exceptional beauty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe passage then summarizes the tragedy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNarcissus rejects Echo and numerous other young women. Nemesis punishes his contempt. Exhausted after hunting, Narcissus approaches a spring to drink, sees his own image in the water, and becomes consumed by love for himself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnable to possess the object of his desire, he eventually wastes away and dies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe surviving text then transitions into the story of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEcho\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, whose unrequited love for Narcissus forms one of the most memorable episodes of Ovid’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination of the Renaissance woodcut on the front and the surviving Latin account on the reverse makes this a particularly evocative fragment of an early printed edition of Ovid.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDetails\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist\/Design:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Associated with Virgil Solis (1514–1562)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubject:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Narcissus at the Fountain \/ Narcissus and His Reflection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSource:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Ovid, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Book III\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 16th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Germany\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedium:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original woodcut on laid paper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReverse:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original Latin letterpress describing Narcissus and Echo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApprox. image size:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 6.3 × 8.2 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe woodcut survives with a strong and attractive impression and excellent detail for its age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reverse retains substantial original Latin letterpress together with remnants of an old mounting. A reddish strip of mounting paper remains adhered across the upper portion of the reverse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe historical mounting material has intentionally been left undisturbed to avoid risking damage to the approximately 450-year-old paper.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease examine all photographs carefully, particularly those of the reverse, as they form an important part of the condition description.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Divine Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63177485189201,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/0059\/0673\/files\/B4EA25E8-198F-4399-8172-07E655FBCB50.jpg?v=1792980930","url":"https:\/\/thedivinelibrarystore.com\/products\/original-16th-century-renaissance-woodcut-narcissus-at-the-fountain","provider":"The Divine Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}