Iphis se pend de desespoir de n’avoir pu se faire aime d’Anaxarete (Iphis hangs himself in despair that he could not gain Anaxarete)

Beschrijving

From the ‘Tafereel of beschryving van den prachtigen tempel der zang-godinnen…’, also known as ‘Le Temple des Muses’ published in Amsterdam in 1733, containing histories drawn from Greek mythology, written by A.de la Barre de Beaumarchais with plates by Bernard Picart. The plates are all finely engraved and are composed with a central part dedicated to the illustration of the story and a larger one, framing the previous, inhabited with details inspired to the central plate. For the whole book see Booknr. 50936 [LIII, p. 138-139] Iphis was a shepherd who fell in love with the cold hearted Anaxarete. She did not return his love, and treated him so badly that out of desperation the man hung himself in front of her house door. Signed on the lower left corner: ‘B. Picart sculp dir.’ Lettered in four languages on the bottom: ‘IPHIS SE PEND DE DESEDPOIR DE N’AVOIR PU SE FAIRE AIME D’ANAXARETE / Iphis hangs himself in despair that he could not gain Anaxarete / Iphis erhebt sich aus Liebe und Bezweiflung. / Iphis verhangt zich, dewyle hy Anazaretes niet tot liefde konde beweegen’. On the bottom of the engraved frame on the left: ‘B. Picart del.’