Ornamental Panel 1514 - 1536

This “Ornamental Panel” was made by Agostino Veneziano sometime in the early 16th century. It’s a delicate engraving on a small metal plate. Reflecting the cultural and social norms of Renaissance Italy, the panel blends classical motifs with inventive design. At the top of the image, a temple-like structure houses a statue, adorned with garlands and various symbolic objects. Below, a half-human, half-foliate figure spreads its wings between two fantastical beasts. The image is deeply embedded in the artistic and intellectual currents of the Renaissance, and reflects the era's fascination with classical antiquity, humanism, and the natural world. Agostino's image engages with the period’s dialogue around the idealization and representation of the human form, which often emphasized male strength and female beauty, and the relationship between humanity and nature. Agostino's work invites us to reflect on the power dynamics embedded in representations of gender and the natural world, and the narratives that Renaissance art constructed around these themes.