Reliëf ondersteund door twee sfinxen 1661

This etching by Antoine Pierretz presents a complex assembly of mythological and allegorical figures. Dominating the lower register, two sphinxes, those ancient symbols of wisdom and guardianship, support a basin ornamented with acanthus leaves, emblems of endurance and immortality. Note how the sphinxes' stoic faces contrast with the frantic gestures of figures above, recalling images of tragic mythologies. Higher still, putti, the cherubic figures so beloved by the Renaissance, recline amidst garlands of fruit and flowers, symbols of abundance and vitality. But consider that, at the very top, this cornucopia is presented as an offering, a sacrifice even, an echo of ancient rituals. At the center, a figure stands near an altar; she embodies a divine being, perhaps an allegorical representation of virtue or wisdom. Her calm demeanor contrasts sharply with the turmoil below, echoing the shifting currents of human experience. Like the serpent which appears in so many mythologies, these symbols resurface across time, each era reinterpreting them, imbuing them with new psychological resonance.