Studies of a Reclined Woman on a Seashell, for the Triumph of Galatea (recto and verso) 1687 - 1697

Paolo De Matteis rendered this sketch of a woman reclined on a seashell using pen and brown ink with gray wash. We see a preparatory study for the Triumph of Galatea, featuring the Nereid Galatea, a figure imbued with the power of the sea. The seashell motif is central here, resonating with ancient symbols of birth and femininity. Think of Botticelli’s Venus emerging from a scallop shell—a potent image linking female divinity with the generative forces of nature. The seashell, however, is not merely a symbol of beauty; it is also a reminder of the primal depths, the subconscious from which life springs. This echoes through time, from ancient fertility cults to contemporary art, forever linked to our deepest, most instinctual understanding of creation and renewal. It speaks to a collective memory, stirring profound emotional responses linked to life's origins.