Kandelaber met onderaan twee gehurkte saterbenen c. 1525 - 1594

This engraving of a candelabra with two crouching satyr legs was created by Hans Sibmacher, sometime before 1611. The design presents a symmetrical, densely packed composition filled with mythological creatures and ornate details. Sibmacher uses line to create intricate patterns and textures, filling the frame with a visual spectacle. The formal arrangement is hierarchical, moving from the base with the satyrs up through various motifs to a prominent bull at the top. This structure is not merely decorative; it invites us to decode the symbolic language embedded in each figure. The satyrs, often associated with wildness and revelry, ground the piece, while the bull, a symbol of power and virility, crowns it. The arrangement presents a world of contrasts, of the earthly and the elevated, the base and the noble. The piece reveals a deeper exploration of the interplay between form and meaning and challenges us to unravel the cultural codes that inform its creation and reception.