Ornament met torso van een vrouw tussen dolfijnen 1527

This Ornament with the torso of a woman between dolphins was etched by Heinrich Aldegrever during the Northern Renaissance. The central figure, a woman whose body seamlessly blends into dolphin tails, immediately recalls the ancient myth of Amphitrite, Poseidon’s wife. Flanking her are heraldic dolphins, symbols of salvation but also of the duality inherent in nature. The dolphin motif, stretching back to antiquity, embodies transformation, safely guiding souls through the perilous waters of both life and death. Consider its appearance on Roman sarcophagi where dolphins carry the deceased to the afterlife. Here, though, the image is of the Renaissance – a period that, captivated by classical antiquity, infused ancient forms with new, humanist meanings. The potent symbolism touches upon a collective, subconscious understanding, a memory passed down through generations, resurfacing in new forms. This constant evolution reflects our ongoing dialogue with the past, reshaping and reimagining it through the lens of the present.