Atalanta and Hippomemes, in the foreground Atalanta kneeling to pick up an apple and Hippomemes running with an apple in either hand, in the landscape background Atalanta running, from a series of four mythological scenes 1535 - 1562

This is Virgil Solis’s 16th-century engraving of Atalanta and Hippomenes, a story of love and trickery. The tale, popular during the Renaissance, tells of Atalanta, a virgin huntress who declared she would only marry the man who could outrun her in a footrace. Solis, working in a time of shifting views on women, presents a nuanced take on the myth. Atalanta, kneeling to pick up the golden apple, is caught between her desire for independence and societal expectations. The apples are a metaphor for the distractions and temptations that divert women from their ambitions, a theme that resonates through centuries. Here, gender and agency intersect as Atalanta is outwitted not by strength or speed, but by cunning manipulation. There's a tension in how we view Atalanta, a powerful woman undone by a simple trick. What does it mean to see her caught in this moment of vulnerability? This print invites us to consider the obstacles women face, both then and now, in a world that often values charm over genuine achievement.