Neptune in a Decorative Frame with Grotesques, from the Judgment of Paris 1575 - 1605

Adriaen Collaert created this engraving, *Neptune in a Decorative Frame with Grotesques, from the Judgment of Paris*, in the late 16th or early 17th century. During this time, the influence of classical antiquity shaped European art and culture. Here, Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, reclines in a landscape within a meticulously adorned frame. The male figure is presented in a sensual, vulnerable pose, his nakedness alluding to the classical ideal of the male form. Yet, even as Neptune embodies masculine strength, his relaxed posture subverts conventional representations of power. The decorative frame merges natural and mythical forms, blurring the lines between the human and the divine, the real and the imagined. The composition is a testament to the period's fascination with allegory, as it invites us to question how mythical narratives reflect the human condition. It reminds us that identity is always shaped in relation to the world around us.