Phineus Delivered from the Harpies

The blind Phineus appeals to Calais and Zetes for deliverance from the Harpies. The chapter describes winged creatures that snatch away his food and foul what remains, condemning him to hunger in the midst of a feast. The arriving Argonauts bring the winged sons of Boreas, whose pursuit drives the tormentors away.

The surrounding narrative links this rescue with Phineus's prophetic knowledge and his advice for the voyage ahead. The engraved banquet turns a familiar setting of hospitality into a grotesque struggle between deprivation and relief.

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 47 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 47.

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.

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