Oude vrouw op rug van triton naast hippocampus 1507 - 1510

Jacopo de' Barbari's "Oude vrouw op rug van triton naast hippocampus" is a 16th century engraving that features an old woman riding a triton, a sea-god with a human upper body and a fish tail, who is in turn riding a hippocampus, a creature with the head and forelegs of a horse and the tail of a fish. The detail and accuracy of the depiction of these mythological creatures highlight the artist's fascination with natural history and the burgeoning scientific investigations of the Renaissance. This small, yet intricate engraving likely served as a study for larger works or as an object of contemplation for those interested in the fantastical and the anatomical.