The Spinners (The Fable of Arachne) by Diego Velázquez

The Spinners (The Fable of Arachne) (1657)

Diego Velázquez | Baroque | Oil on canvas

Women spin wool in a busy workshop, while a bright tapestry glows in the room behind them. The painting retells an old myth about a girl who challenged a goddess to a weaving contest!

Did you know? For a long time people thought this was just a picture of workers in a tapestry workshop. In 1948 the art historian Diego Angulo spotted an old myth hiding inside it. Many experts now see the old spinner on the left as the goddess Athena in disguise, and the young woman on the right as Arachne. In the story, Arachne won the weaving contest, and the jealous goddess turned her into a spider!

Original held at Museo del Prado

Museum-quality giclée print on archival Enhanced Matte Art paper (200gsm) with fade-resistant pigment inks rated for 100+ years. Also available as gallery-wrapped canvas and custom framed.

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