Medea Murdering Her Two Children
1787
In this haunting 1787 scene, the tragic sorceress Medea sits hunched in despair, caught in the terrible moment before she kills her own children to punish her unfaithful husband, Jason. Draped in flowing classical robes, she looks down at the two sleeping boys with a mix of sorrow and resolve, while a discarded crown on the floor hints at the royal betrayal that sparked this madness. The artist, Giovanni Battista Cipriani, was a major force in bringing Neoclassicism to England, and this print—engraved by the master Francesco Bartolozzi as seen in the bottom signature—captures the emotional weight of Greek tragedy through elegant, precise lines.
- Technique
- Engraving
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