Arion Saved by a Dolphin

Arion rides a dolphin with his instrument still in his hands. The chapter identifies him as a celebrated musician returning from Italy and Sicily when sailors plot to seize his wealth. Allowed one last performance, he sings before entering the sea, where a dolphin drawn by the music carries him to safety.

The text continues with his return and the exposure of the crew's story. It also offers a more sceptical explanation of the rescue, while the engraving retains the miraculous animal companion. Music becomes the fragile means by which a person survives an otherwise hostile world.

Historical context is adapted from the accompanying commentary by Antoine de La Barre de Beaumarchais. Its interpretations reflect the period in which the book was published.

This edition follows plate 40 in Le Temple des Muses. The complete historical page and its explanatory text remain available in the source record. Source attribution: Bernard Picart and other engravers, Le Temple des Muses (1749 edition). Museum date: 1749 (publication). Source medium: Engraving, inner pictorial scene. Source portfolio: Le Temple des Muses, plate 40.

The inner illustration has been straightened and extracted from its surrounding engraved frame, caption and paper. The comparison shows that extracted engraving beside Surrealium's contemporary colour interpretation.

Surrealium's contemporary AI-assisted colour interpretation takes this print as its starting point. The colours are interpretive choices made for this edition.

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