Vertical Panel with a Pear Shaped Design with a Mounted Soldier and Centaurs 1580 - 1600

This engraving, "Vertical Panel with a Pear Shaped Design with a Mounted Soldier and Centaurs," was created by Abraham de Bruyn in the late 16th century. The elaborate composition is contained within a symmetrical, almost heraldic form, presenting a complex interplay of figures and ornamental details. De Bruyn's work embodies a fascination with the grotesque. The centaurs and mounted soldier, framed by meticulously rendered foliage, invite us to decode their relationship. The composition is structured around a central vertical axis, with the pear shape dividing into three lobes. This creates a tripartite division, reminiscent of classical triptychs, yet inverted into a single, unified design. The symmetry is precise, yet the monstrous figures introduce an element of disequilibrium. Consider how the visual organization of space in this print—the layering of vegetal motifs with mythological figures—creates meaning. It challenges traditional categories of the natural and the supernatural.