Samengestelling van twee gezichten, een paardenkop en een geitenkop c. 1580 - 1610

This engraving by Giovanni Andrea Maglioli presents a composite head, a grotesque fusion of man, horse, and goat, framed in a decorative oval. The image teems with symbolism, drawing upon a rich reservoir of cultural memory. Consider the horse, a symbol of untamed power and instinct, juxtaposed with the goat, often linked to base desires. Such imagery echoes through history, appearing in ancient mythologies and Renaissance allegories alike. This visual language, deeply ingrained in the collective psyche, taps into primal fears and desires. Think of the centaur, half-man, half-horse, embodying the struggle between reason and animal impulse. This symbol speaks to the chaotic and irrational, reflecting the enduring human fascination with the boundary between man and beast. Note how these motifs resurface time and again, morphing and adapting to new cultural landscapes, yet still resonating with the same powerful emotional undercurrents.