Artwork
Ornament Panel: Two Sphinxes Supporting Shields
Ornament Panel: Two Sphinxes Supporting Shields is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Andrea Zoan. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Andrea Zoan’s early sixteenth‑century engraving, dated around 1510, presents a decorative panel in which two mythological sphinxes flank a trio of stacked shields. The composition is rendered in fine, incised lines that give the impression of a carved surface, emphasizing intricate ornamentation over narrative content.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures are sphinxes—creatures with lion bodies and human heads—positioned on a broad ledge as if bearing the weight of the shields above them. The shields themselves are adorned with swirling motifs and leaf wreaths, suggesting a symbolic or heraldic function within a broader decorative scheme rather than a specific story.
Technique & Style
Zoan employed the intaglio engraving process, incising lines into a metal plate to produce a range of tonal values through inked depressions. The dense network of fine hatching creates a richly textured surface, characteristic of early Renaissance printmaking, where line work substitutes for color and volume.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1510, the print reflects the popularity of ornamental designs in Northern European workshops of the period. While the work’s later ownership trail is not fully documented, it remains attributed to Zoan, an engraver active in the early sixteenth century, and is cited in catalogues of Renaissance prints.
Artist & collection
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