1013Tantalus_Goltzius

An engraving of Tantalus, a muscular man, upside down in water, reaching for grapes, surrounded by Latin text

"Each of the Four Disgracers in this series had offended the gods and was cast down to earth from a great height. Basing his conceptions on the paintings by Cornelis Cornelisz., Goltzius shows the Disgracers tumbling in space, which permits the artist to render movement in an unprecedented manner. In this first sheet of the series, Tantalus, who offended his father Zeus, is in free fall from the heights of Moutn Sipylus.

"The story of Tantalus is told in several variations by classical authors. However, the word "tantalizing" derives from his ultimate punishment: being condemned to live near a pool of water that receded whenever he attempted to drink, and beneatha tree laden with fruits that receded whenever he reached out for food.

"Here Tantalus is pictured upside down against a dark background. Swelling lines are employed to the utmost, their narrow ends being augmented by dots to enhance the effect of their dimensinoality. Goltzius used the same technique in the famous pen drawing of his own hand (R.165), which is also dated 1588." Strauss #257