Artwork
Satyr and Mercury Shooting at a Statue
Satyr and Mercury Shooting at a Statue is an ink print by the Baroque artist Pierre Brebiette. It dates from 1626 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Pierre Brebiette’s 1626 etching titled *Satyr and Mercury Shooting at a Statue* presents a compact scene on laid paper. The print captures a mythological encounter where a satyr and the messenger god Mercury aim their weapons at a stone figure, focusing particularly on the statue’s nose. The composition is rendered in fine line work characteristic of early seventeenth‑century French printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes the mischievous satyr, a creature of rustic revelry, with Mercury, identifiable by his winged helmet, a symbol of swift communication.
The image juxtaposes the mischievous satyr, a creature of rustic revelry, with Mercury, identifiable by his winged helmet, a symbol of swift communication. Their shared aim at the statue’s nose suggests a playful subversion of reverence, turning an object of worship into a target. This humorous twist reflects contemporary Baroque tastes for narrative irony and the blending of sacred and profane motifs.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the work relies on incised lines on a copper plate, transferred onto laid paper with a slightly textured surface. Brebiette’s handling of line creates delicate shading and a sense of depth, while the crisp rendering of Mercury’s helmet catches light, emphasizing the divine figure. The overall style aligns with the detailed, narrative-driven prints circulating in Paris during the early 1600s.
History & Provenance
Created in 1626, the print is among the relatively few surviving works attributed to Pierre Brebiette, a French printmaker active in the early seventeenth century. While specific ownership records are scarce, the etching appears in several catalogues of French Baroque prints and is held in a number of museum and library collections that specialize in early modern graphic art.
Artist & collection
