Two Designs for Carved Panels 16th century

These drawings for carved panels present us with a fascinating array of symbolic motifs, each resonating with echoes of classical antiquity. The upper panel features a prominent scallop shell, a symbol of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, adopted by pilgrims as their emblem. Notice the cherubic face adorning the lower panel. This echoes the ancient motif of Cupid, the god of desire, often depicted as a winged infant. These putti, as they later became known, evolved from pagan symbols into Christian iconography, representing innocence and divine love. We see them recurring throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods, adorning churches and palaces alike. The appearance of these classical figures speaks to our deepest desires, illustrating the continuous thread of human emotion and the enduring power of symbols to evoke the past. The enduring appeal and cyclical re-emergence of such motifs in different eras reflect a continuous dialogue between past and present.