Twee fauns dragen een kind in een mand 1513 - 1515

This engraving, "Two Fauns Carrying a Child in a Basket," was made by Marcantonio Raimondi around the early 16th century. The composition is immediately striking for its symmetry and the muscularity of the figures. Raimondi masterfully uses line and form to create a sense of depth and movement within the essentially two-dimensional medium of engraving. The fauns, mythological creatures of the forest, bear not only a child, but also the weight of classical tradition. Note how the detailed cross-hatching defines their musculature and the textures of the surrounding foliage. The child is a focal point, nestled between the two fauns, suggesting a theme of innocence and nature nurtured by classical ideals. The print invites us to consider the interplay between classical mythology and the Renaissance fascination with form and humanism. It challenges fixed meanings, prompting contemplation of how these elements are reinterpreted through the printmaking medium.