Sater en man die gebeten wordt door leeuw c. 1655 - 1657

This anonymous engraving depicts a satyr and a man attacked by a lion. Look at the Bacchic imagery: grape vines, putti, and a satyr; ancient symbols of fertility, debauchery, and the untamed wild. Here, these figures are woven into a dense and elaborate ornamentation that would not look out of place on a temple. Yet, in the center, we see a man devoured by a lion. This motif echoes through time, from the lion gates of Mycenae, symbols of power, to the Christian allegories, where the lion embodies the triumph over death. The image is a powerful confrontation between the Apollonian and Dionysian spirits. It evokes an uncanny tension as the wildness and brutality is juxtaposed with beauty and order. The image becomes a mirror, reflecting our primal fears and desires. This eternal struggle resonates with the human psyche, surfacing in different forms throughout history.