Bellerophon and the Chimera

Mounted on Pegasus, Bellerophon confronts the fire-breathing Chimera. The chapter follows the accusations that send him to the court of Iobates, where an apparently impossible mission is intended to destroy him. Divine aid instead gives him the winged horse and the means to survive.

The text describes the Chimera through its lion, goat and serpent forms, then discusses a possible association with a fiery mountain in Lycia. The engraving sets the upward force of horse and rider against the monster below, turning a trial imposed by deceit into an image of airborne courage.

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 44 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 44.

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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