Artwork

Design for a Pendant with a Winged Sea-Monster Carrying Venus Anadyomene on a Shell and a Man with an Oar

Design for a Pendant with a Winged Sea-Monster Carrying Venus Anadyomene on a Shell and a Man with an Oar is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Adriaen Collaert. It dates from 1582 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Adriaen Collaert’s 1582 engraving, titled Design for a Pendant with a Winged Sea‑Monster Carrying Venus Anadyomene on a Shell and a Man with an Oar, presents a compact, myth‑inspired composition intended for a jewelry design. The print measures a few inches across and was produced as a preparatory study for a pendant.

Subject & Meaning

Atop its back sits a female figure reminiscent of Venus rising from a shell, while a male figure, holding an oar, balances beside her.

The scene depicts a fantastical sea creature, winged and covered in scales, emerging from turbulent water. Atop its back sits a female figure reminiscent of Venus rising from a shell, while a male figure, holding an oar, balances beside her. The juxtaposition of the monstrous and the divine suggests a narrative of nature’s power supporting beauty, a common allegorical motif in late‑Renaissance ornament.

Technique & Style

Collaert employed the fine, cross‑hatching characteristic of late‑16th‑century engraving to render texture and volume. Delicate lines convey the sheen of the monster’s scales, the softness of the woman’s skin, and the metallic gleam of the oar. The composition relies on strong contrasts of light and shadow to create depth within the limited scale of a pendant design.

History & Provenance

The print originates from Collaert’s workshop in Antwerp, a centre for printmaking during the period. It was likely circulated among goldsmiths as a model for ornamental jewelry. Surviving copies are held in several European print collections, indicating its use as a reference rather than as a finished decorative object.