1563
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Satyr Bending Towards the Right is a 1563 ink by Jean Mignon, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a strange, half-human figure with a goat’s legs and a leafy wreath on its head. It’s holding up a draped canopy with two small faces peeking from behind it. Around the figure, there are odd shapes: a snail, a candle, and a cluster of grapes. The whole scene is drawn in black lines on a light background. The artist packed a lot into this small space—every object seems to have a meaning, but it’s not clear what they all add up to. The faces behind the curtain look like they’re watching something, but it’s hard to tell what. If you like this kind of mysterious, symbolic art, look up etching next to see how it’s made.
Jean Mignon was a French artist in painting and printmaking in the 16th century, active from 1537 to the mid-1550s.
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