Grotesque Alphabet

Ateone mutato in Cervo da Diana
Background: Actea Actaeon at right; Diana in the centre

Ateone mutato in Cervo da Diana

Atheonis transformed into a deer by Diana

Penteo / Bacco Trionfante
Background: Bacchus carried by a procession

Penteo / Bacco Trionfante

Pentheus / The Triumph of Bacchus

Cadmo mutato in Serpente con la moglie
Background: Cadmus being transformed into a serpent

Cadmo mutato in Serpente con la moglie

Cadmus is transformed into a serpent along with his wife

Dedalo / Icaro
Background: Icarus is falling to earth

Dedalo / Icaro

Daedalus / Icarus

Fetonte guisa il carro del sole
Background: A woman rides a chariot towards the sun
Phaeton, son of Helios, rides in his father's chariot

Fetonte guida il carro del sole

Phaeton drives the chariot of the Sun

Hercole entrando nel'inferno Amazza Cerbero
Background: Hercules enters the inferno of Cerberus

Hercole entrando nel'inferno Amazza Cerbero

Hercules kills Cerberus at the entrance of Ades

Licaone mutato in Lupo
Background: Licone [?] Lyacon* is transformed into a fox wolf

Licaone mutato in Lupo

Lycaon is transformed into a wolf

Avaritia del Re Mida
Background: Scene depicting the greed of King Midas

Avaritia del Re Mida

The greed of King Midas

Narcisso s'inamora de si stesso et dive ta un fiore
Background: Narcissus leans over a tomb set within a landscape

Narcisso s'inamora di se stesso et diventa un fiore

Narcissus falls in love with himself and turns into a flower

Eccellenza d'Orfeo nel sonare et lametarsi
Background: Orpheus plays his lyre

Eccellenza d'Orfeo nel sonare et lametarsi

Orpheus’ great skill in playing and wailing

(lit., I think it’s what nowadays we’d call dramatic acting)

Quinto Curtio
Background: Marcus Curtius on horseback is about to leap into the chasm

Quinto Curtio

Quintus Curtius

Rololo et Remo primi fondatori de Roma
Background: Romulus and Remus alongside a wolf

Romolo et Remo primi fondatori di Roma

Romulus and Remus, original founders of Rome

Serena
Background: Serena swims in the sea

Terseo unice il Minotauro et inganna Arianna
Background: Theseus and the minotaur's labyrinth

Teseo vince il Minotauro et inganna Arianna

Thesesu defeats the Minotaur and deceives Arianna

Plutone / Venere et Cupido
Background: Venus and Cupid on a cliff; Pluto arrives in a chariot

Plutone / Venere et Cupido

Pluto / Venus and Cupid

Zarantani
Background: A city

This late 16th century suite of ornamental letters by Giacomo Paolini is known as 'Grotesque Alphabet in Mythological Landscapes'. The only thing I discovered about Paolini is that he was an Italian artist.

To discover which letters I've omitted and which letters were missing from the modern day alphabet, you will need to track them down at the source: the British Museum Prints Database (search on "Giacomo Paolini" in the 'free text' field)

The lazy link: Greek mythology.

**Update: Thanks to Giovanni for providing the translations above (in blue).