Gevleugelde zeehond die achterom kijkt 1580 - 1610

Giovanni Andrea Maglioli created this tiny engraving of a winged sea creature, its head turned as if interrupted. During this period, mythical creatures were often used to symbolize complex ideas, reflecting the cultural and intellectual climate of the time. Notice how the artist merges animal anatomy with fantasy. This blending speaks to the early modern fascination with natural history, coupled with the imaginative freedom to redefine the boundaries of the natural world. Consider how the winged sea creature, though fantastical, is rendered with attention to musculature and form. This creature emerges from the depths of the sea with the capacity to fly. What does this mean to you? How might it challenge traditional notions of what is natural or possible? Maglioli invites us to explore the tensions between the known and the imagined, urging us to consider how such hybrid beings reflect our own complex relationship with the world around us.