About this artwork

This drawing illustrates an episode in the life of Callisto from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Callisto was one of the goddess Diana’s chaste and beautiful maidens. She was seduced by Jupiter, who had disguised himself as Diana in order to become close to Callisto. When the resulting pregnancy was discovered by Diana, Callisto was banished from her group, and having given birth to her son Arcas, she was punished again by Jupiter’s jealous wife Juno, who transformed her into a bear. This drawing shows the moment when Juno catches Callisto’s hair; her subsequent transformation into a bear begins with her arms growing hair. Jupiter eventually turned Callisto into the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

Updated before 2020

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Domenico Campagnola

Domenico Campagnola