Apollo Kills Coronis, Suspecting that She Was Unfaithful - Johann Wilhelm Baur

A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Johann Wilhelm Baur illustrating the tragic mythological tale of Apollo and Coronis.

This etching by Johann Wilhelm Baur depicts a tragic episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The narrative centres on the god Apollo, who, driven by jealousy and the false reports of a crow, prepares to strike down his lover, Coronis. The composition captures the immediate tension of the scene: Apollo stands in the foreground, his bow drawn, while the crow flies above him. To the right, Coronis lies unaware of her impending fate. A lyre, the symbol of Apollo's musical prowess, rests on the rocks near his feet, discarded in his moment of rage.

Baur, a German artist active during the early seventeenth century, was known for his technical precision in printmaking. His work often drew upon classical mythology, reflecting the intellectual interests of the period. The etching demonstrates his ability to integrate figures into a natural setting, with the trees and water providing a sense of depth and atmosphere. The fine, hatched lines create texture in the foliage and the drapery of the figures, typical of the etching techniques employed by artists of the era to convey light and shadow without the use of colour.

This print is part of a larger series illustrating Ovid's tales, a popular subject for artists and collectors in the seventeenth century. Baur's approach is narrative and direct, focusing on the emotional weight of the myth rather than idealised beauty. The scene is rendered with a sense of theatricality, as the figures occupy a stage-like space defined by the rocky terrain and the distant horizon. The work offers a glimpse into the artistic conventions of the Baroque period, where mythological storytelling was a primary vehicle for exploring human emotion and moral dilemmas.