Giovanni Andrea Maglioli, Sea Monster with a Water Fowl in its Mouth, 1580-1610, engraving on paper, 7 1/16 in. x 10 3/8 in. (17.9 cm. x 26.4 cm.), Maglioli's monsters impress rather than horrify the viewer. In scores of seagoing composite beasts, the artist combined upper bodies of humans, goats, bulls, lions, and even an elephant with the tails of dolphins. In this print, Maglioli's dog-headed hippocamp (fish-tailed horse) grasps a luckless duck in its jaws.Fins and foliage sprout from the monster's equine forequarters and serpentine tail.The decorative invention of this startling beast exemplifies the artistic freedom of fantasy and imagination discussed by the ancient Roman poet Horace in his Ars Poetica (ca. 18 B.C.): 'Imagine a painter who wanted to combine a horse's neck with a human head, and then clothe a miscellaneous collection of limbs with various kinds of feathers, so that what started out at the top as a beautiful woman ended in a hideously ugly fish... Painters and poets have always enjoyed equal right to venture on what they will.'
Keywords:
Giovanni Andrea Maglioli, Sea Monster, Water Fowl, Mouth, 1580-1610, engraving, paper, 7 1/16 . x 10 3/8, 17.9 cm. x 26.4 cm., Maglioli's monsters impress, horrify, viewer., scores, seagoing composite beasts, artist combined upper bodies, humans, goats, bulls, lions, even, elephant, tails, dolphins., print, Maglioli's dog-headed hippocamp, fish-tailed horse, grasps, luckless duck, jaws.Fins, foliage sprout, monster's equine forequarters, serpentine tail. decorative invention, startling beast exemplifies, artistic freedom, fantasy, imagination discussed, ancient Roman poet Horace, Ars Poetica, ca. 18 B.C., 'Imagine, painter, wanted, combine, horse's neck, human head, clothe, miscellaneous collection, limbs, various kinds, feathers, started out, top, beautiful woman ended, hideously ugly fish... Painters, poets, enjoyed equal right, venture, will.'
Image ID:
The watermark in the image will not appear on the final download.