Minneapolis Institute of Art
Mercury Inventing the Lyre
John Raphael Smith; Painter: After James Barry; Publisher: John Boydell
- Date
- 1775
- Medium
- Mezzotint
- Department
- European Art
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
According to the myth of Mercury—the Roman god of commerce, communication, and trickery—he was just a few days old when he stole a herd of cattle that belonged to Apollo. After killing one of the bulls, Mercury made strings of its guts, stretched them over a tortoise shell, and the lyre was born. Though initially angry with Mercury, Apollo forgave his crime in exchange for the new string instrument. England, Europe
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