Apollo and Coronis

A man and woman lie entwined in a shaded grove, their intimate moment observed by a large bird perched on a branch to the right. In the distance, a coastal landscape unfolds with small figures on a beach, sailing ships, and a structure emitting a plume of smoke. The engraving utilizes the swelling and tapering lines characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist style to create deep shadows and muscular forms.

This print is part of Goltzius's influential series illustrating Ovid's Metamorphoses, a foundational text for Renaissance mythography and Neoplatonic allegory. The scene captures the moment of betrayal that leads to the raven's feathers being turned from white to black, a motif sometimes associated in alchemical literature with the transition to the nigredo stage.