Melencolia I (copie) (Bartsch 74), GDUT4009(2)

The central winged figure rests her head on her hand, holding a compass while surrounded by a chaotic arrangement of objects including a sphere, a truncated rhombohedron, and various woodworking tools. Behind her, a putto scribbles on a tablet atop a grindstone, while a magic square, an hourglass, and a bell are mounted on the stone wall. In the distance, a bat-like creature carries a banner with the work's title across a sky illuminated by a comet and a rainbow.

This print is a cornerstone of Western esoteric art, representing the 'melancholy of the artist' and the Neoplatonic struggle between intellectual aspiration and human limitation. It specifically references the planetary influence of Saturn and the use of the Jupiter magic square as a talismanic remedy, reflecting the theories of Marsilio Ficino and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.