Satyr Leading Goat on which a Infant Rides, from "Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata" 1599 - 1622

Curator: Ah, a rather charming engraving titled "Satyr Leading Goat on which a Infant Rides" from the series "Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata". It was made sometime between 1599 and 1622 by an anonymous artist. Editor: Intriguing. There's a lightness to the composition that belies the strangeness of the scene. The cross-hatching feels so uniform it flattens the space, giving it a dreamlike quality. Curator: Note how the artist employs line—the consistent, almost rigid hatching. It creates volume, but, as you noted, also paradoxically flattens the figures within the pictorial space, emphasizing pattern and texture above realistic depth. Editor: The Satyr is an obvious Dionysian symbol, of course, the wild, untamed id. And isn't that a representation of Mercury perched atop the goat, with the tell-tale winged hat? Curator: Indeed, the iconography becomes quite dense when read through that lens. Mercury, messenger of the gods, god of commerce and...thieves! It poses interesting questions about the child's innocence set against that backdrop of pagan wildness and shrewd calculation. Editor: It really speaks to the period's fascination with classical themes, viewed through a Christian moral lens, right? We see a synthesis of different value systems attempting to come together in harmony… or perhaps not quite succeeding, judging by the somewhat tense dynamism in the work. The satyr seems ready to bolt at any moment. Curator: Precisely! The engraving highlights a dialogue, not always harmonious, between form and meaning. The formal restraint battles with the pagan subject matter to create something... unsettling, wouldn’t you say? It offers a fascinating tension. Editor: A tension that holds our attention even now. An exercise in binary opposition, expertly presented with technical skill.