Capricorn

CAPRICORN – December 22 – January 19

Classical mythology explained the constellation figure of Capricorn as Pan who, during the war of the Titans, jumped into the Nile in terror and changed his shape into that of a goat-fish, suggesting that they were as ignorant of the real meaning of Capricorn as are we.
Capricornus is the Latin name for the constellation which refers only to a goat’s horn, a potent symbol for fertility.

The constellation has a widespread association with aquatic creatures in ancient times. Early Hindu astrologers depicted it as a goat’s head upon the body of a hippopotamus and it was known by some Latin authors as Neptune’s Offspring or The Rain-bringing One. This is partly because the Sun’s passage through this section of the sky coincided with the rainy season of the ancient year. The symbolic roots are also tied into the worship of Ea, one of the most important Babylonian gods who ruled over Waters, Wisdom and Magic. Ea’s domain was the ‘Primeval Deep’, and he was known by the title ‘Antelope of the Ocean’.

Ea was the most stoical of the ancient gods and his mythological traits reveal him to be a constant friend to humanity. The Greeks preserved his character in their own myth of Oannes, an exceptionally wise creature, described by Berossus as half-fish and half-human, who was said to have emerged from the ocean on four occasions to bring culture and civilisation to mankind. Ea and Oannes are both described as articulate, patient, tolerant and serene. Their lack of emotional excitability are impressed upon the character traits associated with the star sign Capricorn.

Whereas Cancer was ‘the Gate of Men’, through which souls descended to Earth from Heaven, Capricorn was ‘the Gate of the Gods’, the portal of ascension through which souls of the departed ascended back to Heaven. Suitably Capricorn marks the Winter solstice a time when the powers of the sun are at its weakest.
The Hermetic-Platonic philosophy has a direct relevance to Babylon and therefore strengthens the argument that Capricorn celebrates the mythology of one of their prominent gods. The name ‘Babylon’ is the Greek form of bab-ili, the Assyrian translation of the Akkadian ca-dimira, ‘gate of the gods’, by which name it was locally known. The Hebrew name Babel (bab ‘gate’ + el ‘god’) shows the connection more clearly.

The goatfish however can be seen as a powerful dualistic emblem, uniting creatures that roam the mountains with those that swim the depths of the ocean, a symbol of the integration of spirit with matter. This duality is characterised by a life-long striving towards accomplishment. The sign is known as the most ambitious of the zodiac, driven to climb, yet constantly checked by the pressure of a planet whose nature is to hold back and restrain.

Capricorn – Regular Edition on paper
image size aprox. 50 x 65 cm | 19.6 x 25.6 inch
Edition of 75

Capricorn – Small Edition on paper
image size aprox. 35 x 45 cm | 13.8 x 17.7 inch
Edition of 150

Capricorn – Luxury Edition on canvas
image size aprox. 90 x 70 cm | 35.4 x 27.5 inch
Limited and signed Edition of 25

Capricorn is a limited edition “Giclée” print of the original painting by Jake Baddeley, made with archival pigment inks on heavy stock, natural white (not bleached) fine art etching paper. The matte etching paper nicely presents the brushstrokes and texture of the original painting.
All prints are signed and numbered by the original artist in the border beneath the image and come with a certificate of authenticity and an embossed stamp by the master printer.

Derived from the French, “giclée” means “sprayed” and is an advanced digital printmaking technology involving archival quality inks that are finely jet streamed onto fine archival papers. Giclee printing provides superior color accuracy and incredible detail over other modes of reproduction.

Giclee prints can be found in New York’s Metropolitan Museum as well as galleries and auction houses throughout the world.

This is a signed and numbered limited edition print from the original painting Capricorn by Jake Baddeley and is available in two different sizes. It is printed on heavy quality 300 grams Hahnemuhle fine art paper and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Both the print and the certificate are numbered and signed by the original artist. Furthermore, the Regular Edition comes with an embossed logo of the Master Printer (Re-art in The Netherlands). The print does not come framed, the frames on the pictures here are for presentation purposes only.

Posters of this painting can be found in our Zazzle shop:
http://www.zazzle.com/thresholdeditions*