Covered Goblet with Three Feet 1500 - 1538

Albrecht Altdorfer crafted this 'Covered Goblet with Three Feet' using etching techniques. Notice the cherubic figures adorning the goblet's lid. These aren't mere decorations, but echoes of classical antiquity, resurfacing here in the Renaissance. These putti, or cherubs, can be traced back to ancient Roman art, where they symbolized love and frivolity, often associated with Venus and Cupid. The swaddled infants that recur in Christian art owe a debt to these playful figures. Here, they remind us of the cyclical nature of cultural memory, where pagan motifs are absorbed and transformed within Christian iconography. The emotional weight of innocence and purity gets bound to these figures, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. This goblet reveals how symbols evolve, resurface, and take on new meanings across time.