Image gallery
Hendrick Goltzius
Tantalus, 1588
About the object
Tantalus put the omniscience of the gods to the test. When his plan was discovered, they banished him to Tartarus, the underworld's infernal prison, where he would suffer the punishments of eternal hunger and thirst. In the background, Goltzius included references to the narrative, such as Mount Olympus on the right and Tartarus below.