Saturn (from The Planets)

The figure of Saturn stands over a curved scythe, his traditional attribute as the god of time and the harvest. In the corners of the frame, the artist has included the zodiac signs Capricorn and Aquarius, which Saturn rules, along with agricultural tools like a flail and a winnowing basket. The central scene illustrates the myth of Cronus devouring his offspring to avoid being usurped, a theme often linked to the relentless consumption of all things by Time.

In the Renaissance, Saturn was a central figure in Neoplatonic thought and astrology, associated with the 'Greater Malefic' influence and the melancholic temperament. This imagery connects the destructive power of time to the alchemical lead and the contemplative life described by thinkers like Marsilio Ficino.