Cymon and Iphigenia (May 2, 1796)
Original title: Cymon and Iphigenia
kurzbeschreibung
James Gillray's hand-colored etching Cymon and Iphigenia, dated May 2, 1796, presents two caricatured figures in a landscape. One lies on the ground in green and pink, seemingly unconscious, while a second, dressed in blue and red with a cap and stick, looks down at her. The print lampoons the motif of the same name from Boccaccio's Decameron.
Description
On the left, a figure with a headscarf, dressed in green and pink, rests exhausted or fainted on the ground. Opposite, on the right, stands a person in blue and red clothing, a cap on the head and a stick in hand, gazing down at the reclining woman. Trees and a lightly clouded sky form the backdrop. The figures are exaggerated in caricature style and rendered in bold colors; the layout feels asymmetrical.
Context
The etching was made in England in 1796, during a period marked by political and social satire. Gillray, known for his caricatures, often took up literary or mythological subjects and turned them into comedy. The motif of Cymon and Iphigenia goes back to Boccaccio's Decameron and was frequently depicted in art; Gillray, however, deliberately exaggerated it.
Impact
The caricatural exaggeration and strong colors give the print a humorous and ironic effect. The asymmetry of the arrangement draws the eye to the encounter between the figures, which seems at once ridiculous and dramatic.
Technique
This is a hand-colored etching, with the colors applied by brush. Visible brushstrokes and color gradations attest to the manual coloring that is characteristic of Gillray's prints.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)