Phoebus Telling Vulcan of His Wife's Adultery

Hans Collaert the Younger, after Philip Galle

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing depicting a mythological scene. Two figures are in the foreground, one seated on a large square stone holding a tool, while the other stands beside them with a bow, gesturing. In the background, laborers work at anvils in a cavernous space resembling a forge. The composition includes leaf motifs at the corners. The background shows a coastal landscape with cliffs, trees, water, and sailing vessels. The figures are idealized, with emphasis on their physiques, hinting at a classical mythological or epic narrative.