Artwork
Faun Battling a Snake
Faun Battling a Snake is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Italian 15th Century. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work is an engraving titled “Faun Battling a Snake,” depicting a mythological half‑human, half‑goat figure locked in a struggle with a coiled serpent. Rendered in dense, dark lines, the composition shows the creature’s arms wrapped around its torso and its limbs contorted, while the snake winds around its body with its head poised near the faun’s face.
Subject & Meaning
The image draws on classical iconography of fauns, nature spirits associated with rustic wilderness, confronting a snake—a symbol often linked to danger or rebirth. The tension between the two figures suggests a narrative of conflict between primal instincts and threatening forces, though the precise allegorical intent remains open to interpretation.
Technique & Style
Executed through engraving, the artist employed fine parallel strokes and cross‑hatching to model volume and depth. By varying the density of these intersecting lines, subtle gradations of shadow are achieved, giving the figures a three‑dimensional presence against a textured ground strewn with small plants.
History & Provenance
The print’s origin, date, and creator are not specified in the supplied information, and no record of its ownership or exhibition history is provided. Consequently, its provenance remains undocumented within the available data.
Context
Engravings of mythological subjects were common in the print culture of the early modern period, serving both decorative and educational purposes. The use of cross‑hatching aligns with techniques popularized by artists seeking to convey chiaroscuro effects in a medium limited to line work.
Artist & collection
Artist
This anonymous Italian engraver from the 1490s carved images that could be peeled apart like paper dolls—each knot in the "First Knot" print was cut from a single sheet so you could lift the loops right off the page.
![The Destruction of the Egyptian Idols [verso], by Italian 15th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/italian-15th-century--the-destruction-of-the-egyptian-idols-verso--646d3c2b8098cfee-w320.webp)
![The Flight into Egypt [recto], by Italian 15th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/italian-15th-century--the-flight-into-egypt-recto--8f4d5275d7f90f98-w320.webp)
![Bust of a Youth Looking Upward [recto], by Luca Signorelli](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/luca-signorelli--bust-of-a-youth-looking-upward-recto--98d5b40adccc490b-w320.webp)