Fries met de bestraffing van Niobe (plaat 2)

This engraving depicts a chaotic scene of divine retribution, showing figures and horses tumbling in a dense, frieze-like composition. On the far right, a muscular arm draws a bow, launching the invisible arrows that cause the massacre. The work is characterized by the dramatic, twisting poses and exaggerated musculature typical of the Haarlem Mannerist style.

The myth of Niobe is a foundational classical allegory for hubris and the inevitable nature of divine justice (Nemesis). Within the Neoplatonic and humanistic circles of the late 16th century, such Ovidian themes were studied as moralized lessons on the limits of human pride and the terrifying power of the celestial order.