Two Grotesques Separated by a Vertical Band of Ornament, the Right Grotesque with Peacocks and Winged Monsters 1562

Editor: This intricate print, "Two Grotesques Separated by a Vertical Band of Ornament, the Right Grotesque with Peacocks and Winged Monsters," created by Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau, presents such a fascinating array of imagery. What do you see in this piece, especially regarding the symbols and their possible meanings? Curator: It is a tapestry of cultural memory, isn't it? The grotesque, popular during the Renaissance, allows for the combination of human, animal, and vegetal forms. Notice how the peacocks, symbols of vanity and pride, contrast with monstrous figures. What could that tension signify about the values of the time? Editor: Perhaps a commentary on the fine line between beauty and excess? I hadn't considered the peacock's symbolism. Curator: Precisely! Du Cerceau invites us to reflect on the nature of perception itself, and how easily appearances can deceive. Ornamentation can both reveal and conceal. Editor: I'll certainly look at Renaissance art differently now, keeping an eye out for hidden symbolic layers.