Satyr holding a fantastical creature (recto); Two candelabra grotesques (verso) 1540 - 1550

Andrés de Melgar created this drawing with pen and brown ink. Immediately, our eyes are drawn into the intricate dance of lines which construct the satyr holding a fantastical creature and candelabra grotesques. The detailed cross-hatching brings volume to the satyr's muscular form, as if the figure is emerging from the page. The composition is a study in contrasts: we see the sharp, angular lines of architectural elements against the fluid, organic shapes of mythical beings. This opposition creates a tension which animates the entire scene. The drawing reflects the Mannerist fascination with complexity and artifice. Melgar destabilizes the classical ideals of harmony and proportion. The grotesque figures and elaborate ornamentation serve as visual metaphors for the era's intellectual climate, where established meanings were questioned and reconfigured. Notice how the lines, though delicate, assert a powerful sense of form. This drawing is not just a representation but an active engagement with the possibilities of form and meaning.