Regulus 1500 - 1550

Sebald Beham etched "Regulus," a small yet potent image, sometime between 1500 and 1550. Here, a scene unfolds, dominated by the image of a barrel—a vessel of containment and, in this context, potential excess. The barrel, overflowing, evokes the ancient motif of the cornucopia, a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Yet, here, the overflowing liquid suggests not nourishment but perhaps indulgence, a theme often explored in the art of Beham's time. This symbol echoes through centuries, appearing in Dutch Golden Age paintings depicting raucous tavern scenes or even in Bacchic festivals of antiquity. Consider the psychological weight of such imagery. The overflowing barrel can be seen as a metaphor for unchecked desires or the subconscious spilling into the conscious. Like a dream, the image hints at hidden appetites and the tension between restraint and gratification, resonating deeply within our collective memory. This eternal dance, between control and abandon, is powerfully captured here.