The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent

William Blake

National Gallery of Art

This is a carved copper plate. The plate itself is dark red, and the carved lines are light gray. The plate shows five people, two on the left, two on the right, and one in the center being eaten by a demonic creature. The central man and the two people on the left are nude, while the two people on the right wear long robes and have long hair. The central man is being attacked from behind by an enormous lizard-like creature with scales, wings, and a long tail. The creature has six legs that end in claws, and they are all grabbing onto the man, its tail wrapping around his leg. His head is visible in the creature's open mouth, his features contorted. There are snakes slithering around the rocky terrain in the background, some hissing at the two people on the left.