Demogorgon in the Cave of Eternity, plate one from Demogorgon and the Deities c. 1588 - 1590

Hendrick Goltzius created this print, "Demogorgon in the Cave of Eternity," in the Netherlands, sometime around 1588. The print gives visual form to Demogorgon, a powerful, mysterious, and rather frightening deity first mentioned in Renaissance literature. The image is brimming with cultural references and historical associations. The artist pictures Demogorgon as a gaunt, androgynous figure seated in a cavernous landscape, surrounded by symbols of mortality and decay. The oval format and intricate engraving style reflect the influence of Italian Renaissance art. But look closer and you will see that Goltzius may be commenting on the social structures of his time. The image has a progressive dimension, challenging the established religious and social order of 16th-century Europe. The image’s ambivalence certainly resonated with the intellectual and spiritual climate of the period. Historians consult a wide range of sources – literary texts, religious tracts, and social commentaries, to understand the complex interplay of ideas that shaped the meaning of this intriguing image.