Panel 1550 - 1599

This relief panel was carved in France by Jean Goujon during the mid-16th century and it is made of limestone. Goujon was working at a time when Renaissance ideals were spreading through Europe. This panel reflects this cultural shift through its ornamentation. Classical motifs such as the grotesque mask are used to create an allegorical scene; a griffin stands imposingly over these symbols. The griffin, a hybrid creature, often symbolized power and vigilance. Such panels were common in both royal and aristocratic contexts, used for decorative purposes, and also as symbols of status and authority. As such, they represent the social stratification of the Renaissance, and demonstrate how artistic styles of the era were used to visually convey the socio-political hierarchy. Consider the ways in which symbols and myths are employed to tell stories of power and identity during periods of cultural and artistic transformation.