Plate 7: Pluto in a niche, holding a bident, with Cerberus next to him, from "Mythological Gods and Goddesses" 1526

Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio made this engraving of Pluto holding a bident with Cerberus in the 16th century. The Italian Renaissance saw a resurgence of interest in classical antiquity. Here, Caraglio appropriates classical mythology, depicting Pluto, the god of the underworld, with Cerberus, the multi-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades. The print illustrates the Renaissance fascination with classical learning and its integration into contemporary art and culture. In this print, the social role of art is to reinforce classical ideals and virtues. Artists in the Renaissance often looked to classical sources for inspiration and patronage from wealthy elites. The visual codes and cultural references serve to align the patron with the prestige and authority of classical civilization. To understand this print better, we might research the patronage system of Renaissance Italy and the role of classical learning in shaping artistic production. The meaning of art, as this example shows, is contingent on its social and institutional context.