Plate 3: Vase with a satyr's mask and garlands, from Antique Vases (Vasa a Polydoro Caravagino) 1605

Aegidius Sadeler II made this print of a vase with a satyr's mask and garlands in Rome, at the beginning of the 17th century. During this period, there was increasing interest in the classical world, its art, and its literature. Sadeler's image provides us with a glimpse into the artistic and cultural values of his time. The vase itself, adorned with a satyr's mask, garlands, and classical motifs, reflects the prevailing taste for antique forms and ornamentation. Satyrs were associated with revelry and the theater, and were often associated with elites who saw themselves as sophisticated connoisseurs of the antique. This vogue was supported by institutions such as the Vatican Museum and the French Academy in Rome. To fully understand the print, we might want to explore the work of antiquarians and historians, and we could also study the economic forces that fueled the art market in early modern Europe. The history of art is always contingent on the history of the world around it.