Arachne

Otto Henry Bacher

1884 · Etching, printed in brown ink, with plate tone · Drawings and Prints

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Bacher spent much of his career in Europe, especially Venice, where he encountered the American artist James McNeill Whistler, whose style and technique would greatly influence him. Although Bacher also worked in paint, his primary pursuit was etching. Here, he depicts the mythological figure of Arachne, a mortal woman who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest and, as a result, was transformed into a spider. Arachne’s hair merges with the strands of the web, while a spider drops down along the left margin.

Artist

Otto Henry Bacher

Date

1884

Medium

Etching, printed in brown ink, with plate tone

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Otto H. Bacher, 1938