Faun Attacking a Snake

Faun Attacking a Snake, created by the School of Andrea Mantegna Italian, 1431-1506, dates to the late Renaissance period of 1495-1505. This highly dramatic image is executed as a meticulous engraving in black on ivory laid paper. The subject captures a fierce moment derived from classical mythology, depicting a satyr-like figure, or Faun, locked in a struggle with a venomous serpent. The detailed cross-hatching and sharply defined contours are characteristic of the sophisticated printmaking techniques utilized by artists associated with the Mantegna studio, who aimed to translate the sculptural quality of antiquity onto the two-dimensional surface.

While attributed to the School rather than the master himself, the influence of 1431-1506 is palpable in the dynamic composition and the robust, classicizing form of the figures. Mantegna maintained a highly influential workshop in northern Italy, pioneering the widespread use of the engraving medium to circulate sophisticated humanist designs. Subjects drawn from classical antiquity, like this confrontation between man and beast, were critical to the visual culture of the Italian Renaissance. The technical complexity required for such detailed prints confirms the high caliber of the artists producing work during this era.

This early example of Italian printmaking underscores the critical role that graphic arts played in disseminating artistic innovation throughout Italy and across Europe. The work resides within the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, which maintains an extensive repository of early graphic arts. Its enduring quality and institutional provenance ensure that this detailed image is often accessible to the public, offering insight into the technical and stylistic demands of late quattrocento engraving. As a historically significant piece, high-resolution reproductions are frequently available in the public domain for research and study.