Amphion en Zethus binden Dirce aan de stier 1765 - 1837

Antoni Zürcher created this print, "Amphion en Zethus binden Dirce aan de stier," with etching. The image depicts a scene of retribution, pulled from classical mythology, and allows us to reflect on the place of this art in its own time. This print, made in the Netherlands, visualizes a famed Roman sculpture known as the Farnese Bull. By reproducing it in print form, Zürcher made this image, with all its historical and cultural associations, available to a wider audience. We can understand this work through a number of lenses. The narrative is derived from classical mythology. The style is rooted in the conventions of neo-classicism. The print medium made it accessible to middle-class collectors. It would have been collected alongside other prints in albums and would have played a part in the education of young people. To learn more, we can research the publishing trade, the history of classical sculpture, and the relationship between Dutch and Italian art of this period. The meaning of this print is contingent on these histories.