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Original file
About This Work
A winged figure rests her head on her hand in a state of brooding inactivity, holding a pair of compasses while surrounded by symbols of measurement and geometry. A magic square, an hourglass, and a balance hang on the wall behind her, contrasting with the scattered tools of physical labor and a large polyhedron on the ground. In the background, a comet flashes across the sky framed by a rainbow as a small bat-like creature displays the title of the work.
This work is the foundational visual representation of the Renaissance 'melancholy of the genius,' a concept derived from Neoplatonic thought and Agrippa von Nettesheim’s occult philosophy. It illustrates the psychological state of the intellectual who, governed by Saturn, possesses the potential for divine insight but remains paralyzed by the limitations of the material world.
Inscriptions
MELENCOLIA § I 16 3 2 13 5 10 11 8 9 6 7 12 4 15 14 1 1514 AD
Translation
MELENCOLIA § I 16 3 2 13 5 10 11 8 9 6 7 12 4 15 14 1 1514 AD
Connected Texts
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim
In De Occulta Philosophia, Agrippa describes three levels of melancholy, with 'Melancholia Imaginativa' (likely represented by the 'I' in the title) being the level affecting artists and craftsmen.
Marsilio Ficino
In De vita libri tres, Ficino reevaluated the melancholic temperament as a mark of the creative genius and scholar under the influence of Saturn.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Engraving
allegory
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC0
https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/petit-palais/oeuvres/melencolia-i-bartsch-74#infos-principales
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
3600 × 4515 px
23dc6c872cf2cc8496b727dbccac3cb944ba98d9
June 25, 2023
March 24, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.