Phaeton's Sisters Changed into Poplars - etching - 17.5 x 25.2 cm - Washington DC, NGA

The scene shows the tragic metamorphosis of Phaeton's family after his fatal fall from the sun chariot; branches and leaves sprout from the sisters' limbs as they take root in the earth. Their mother, Clymene, is shown in the center desperately trying to peel the bark from her daughters' bodies, while the figure of Cycnus on the right begins to grow feathers and a long neck. A large stone tomb inscribed with Phaeton's name stands in the background, serving as the focal point for their eternal grief.

The story of Phaeton was a primary Renaissance allegory for hubris and the soul's inability to master divine fire, a theme central to Neoplatonic and Hermetic thought. These transformations represent the fluid boundaries between species and the interconnectedness of all life forms within the 'Great Chain of Being' as described in natural philosophy.