2-739-802 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Satyress, c. 1525-1528. The use of complex symbols interested Renaissance scholars, artists, and humanists. The unusual objects surrounding the satyress may be an allegory of vice triumphing over virtue. The lyre and pipes at the base of the laurel tree represent the spirit and the emotions, while the jawbone and bow are weapons of violence and love. The helmet and snake (under the satyress’s hooves) were Renaissance symbols of wisdom.