Arcas Preparing to Kill his Mother, Changed into a Bear

A muscular young hunter stands poised with a bow, targeting a large bear that gazes back at him from a wooded landscape. In the top right corner, a small scene among the clouds depicts Jupiter pulling the mother and son upward to take their place among the stars. This engraving showcases the exaggerated musculature and dynamic poses characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist style.

This work depicts the concept of catasterism—the transformation of a mythological figure into a star or constellation—which connected classical literature with the Renaissance study of astronomy and the cosmos. The story of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor was a fundamental part of the 'star-myths' used to navigate and moralize the celestial sphere.