Amphion Builds The Walls Of Thebes By The Music Of His Lyre

48.5 x 32 cm (19.1 x 12.6 inches).
Amphion Builds The Walls Of Thebes By The Music Of His Lyre
This spectacular baroque engraving is from Bernard Picart's Le Temple Des Muses.
The engraving was made in 1733, is from the first edition and is an original antique. It has captions in French, English, German, and Dutch.
It is in very good condition for its age.
In Greek mythology, Amphion became a great singer and musician after his lover Hermes taught him to play and gave him a golden lyre. Amphion and his twin brother Zethus (a hunter) built the walls of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. Amphion played his lyre and stones glided into place. Bernard Picart's dramatic engraving shows Amphion playing music as stones fly into place. The ornate border contains dragons, medusa, the winds, musical instruments and arrows.