The Golden Fleece Won By Jason

48.5 x 32 cm (19.1 x 12.6 inches).
The Golden Fleece Won By Jason
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, Jason was a hero and leader of the Argonauts. He could regain his kingdom from in return for the legendary Golden Fleece. He made a ship, the Argo, and recruited crew, the Argonauts. They sailed to the site of the fleece, Colchis. The king agreed to give Jason the Golden Fleece if he ploughed a field with wild bulls whose hooves were bronze and breath flamed. The king's daughter, Medea the sorceress, fell in love with Jason and showed him how to do the challenge and kill the dragon guarding the Fleece. Bernard Picart's dramatic engraving shows Jason striding from the Argo towards a bull and dragon. The fleece hangs in a tree. The ornate border contains a magnificent dragon.