Secondary sourcePainting1607
Socrates and Xanthippe
Otto van Veen · 1607
A 1607 engraving depicting a legendary scene of Socrates' wife Xanthippe pouring liquid over his head.
A later legend-based image showing Socrates as the butt of a domestic joke involving his wife Xanthippe.
About this source
What it is
This is an engraving made in 1607 by Otto van Veen. It shows an old bearded man seated on steps while a younger woman pours liquid from a vessel onto his head, with a small sailing boat and figures in the background.
Why it matters
The scene illustrates an old legend about Socrates and his wife Xanthippe, who was said to have a difficult temper. The painting was made many centuries after Socrates lived, showing how later European artists used stories about him to create moralizing or humorous images rather than historical records.
Look closer
- What does the artist want you to feel about the two figures shown?
- Why might this legend have appealed to artists long after Socrates' death?
- What does this image leave out about who Socrates actually was?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Socrates on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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