Apollo Slaying Python, plate one from The History of Apollo and Daphne

Apollo Slaying Python, plate one from The History of Apollo and Daphne

Master of the DieWW-1527-073118
1527·Engraving in black on ivory laid paper·Image plate: 21.8 × 17.6 cm (8 5/8 × 6 15/16 in.); Text plate: 2.6 × 17.6 cm (1 1/16 × 6 15/16 in.); Sheet: 24 × 17.6 cm (9 1/2 × 6 15/16 in.)

<p>The alteration to this impression is not initially evident, but closer inspection reveals that this predominantly nude Apollo is missing his genitalia. A viewer deliberately scraped away the ink at the god’s crotch in a campaign of extremely localized censorship. Given how modestly Apollo was originally endowed, this change does not significantly alter the image overall. Rather, the god’s sizable arrow quiver dangles more provocatively between his legs than his own penis ever did. The objecting viewer, apparently lacking a grasp of age-old visual puns, may not have realized that, with his alteration, the visual emphasis merely shifted to this larger and more obvious phallus substitute.</p>

Catalogue

Year
1527
Dimensions
Image plate: 21.8 × 17.6 cm (8 5/8 × 6 15/16 in.); Text plate: 2.6 × 17.6 cm (1 1/16 × 6 15/16 in.); Sheet: 24 × 17.6 cm (9 1/2 × 6 15/16 in.)

Artist

Master of the Die
Master of the Die

Printmaking

Master of the Die (Italian, active c. 1530-1560)

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Record

Verified by WattsOS
Year
1527
Dimensions
Image plate: 21.8 × 17.6 cm (8 5/8 × 6 15/16 in.); Text plate: 2.6 × 17.6 cm (1 1/16 × 6 15/16 in.); Sheet: 24 × 17.6 cm (9 1/2 × 6 15/16 in.)
Watts ID
WW-1527-073118

Source

Source
aic
Status
verified

Artist

Master of the Die

Master of the Die

Printmaking

View artist profile →