Saturnus Devouring the Child Print, Heinrich Aldegrever, 1533, Saturn from “The Seven Planets” – German Renaissance Occult Illustration #133

This haunting occult print of Saturnus (Saturn) devouring the child, created by Heinrich Aldegrever in 1533, belongs to the emblematic cycle The Seven Planets. It is a masterful and deeply unsettling Renaissance engraving that fuses mythological allegory, astrological symbolism, and esoteric doctrine. With Aldegrever’s precise linework and stark black-and-white contrasts, the scene depicts the terrifying god Saturn as both the ancient Titan Cronus and the ruling planetary deity of melancholy, discipline, and destruction.

What the Artwork Depicts

The engraving portrays Saturn as an aged, muscular bearded man, standing in a desolate landscape, holding a scythe in his right hand—the agricultural tool that became his most enduring attribute and later merged with the iconography of the Grim Reaper. In his left hand, he grasps an innocent child upside-down, about to consume it, a direct reference to the myth in which Cronus devoured his offspring to prevent them from overthrowing him.

At Saturn’s feet lies a Capricorn goat, linking the figure to the zodiac sign ruled by the planet Saturn. Behind him, a fortified city and barren trees add a sense of decay, coldness, and harsh discipline—qualities long associated with Saturn in astrological tradition. Bones and skulls scattered on the ground intensify the memento mori quality of the scene, reminding the viewer of mortality, decay, and the inevitability of death.

Symbolism and Esoteric Meaning

This print encapsulates the duality of Saturn as both a destructive and formative force:

• Saturn as Cronus the Devourer – Symbol of time’s all-consuming power, devouring all life, stripping away illusions, and leaving only truth and decay.

• The Scythe – A reminder of harvest, mortality, and the cycles of time, wielded both as an instrument of creation and of annihilation.

• The Devoured Child – Represents innocence, potential, and new beginnings, consumed by the oppressive weight of time, authority, and fate.

• Capricorn – As Saturn’s astrological domicile, Capricorn embodies endurance, severity, discipline, and the stark realities of earthly existence.

• Bones and Skulls – Classical memento mori imagery, reminding the beholder that all worldly glories must fall under the dominion of Saturn’s inexorable passage of time.

For occultists, Saturn is also the planet of initiation, restriction, and transformation. In Hermetic and alchemical traditions, the Saturnian ordeal signifies the death of the ego, trials of limitation, and the gateway to wisdom through suffering.

Historical Context

Heinrich Aldegrever (1502–1555), a German engraver and painter of the Northern Renaissance, was known for his meticulously detailed engravings and his moralizing, allegorical imagery. A follower of Albrecht Dürer’s school, Aldegrever excelled in combining mythological figures with Christian and occult allegories.

This piece is part of his 1533 cycle The Seven Planets, a series of engravings that linked each classical planet with its mythological deity and astrological meanings. In the sixteenth century, planetary images were more than decorative—they were understood as visual guides to cosmic influence, shaping human temperament, destiny, and even medical practice through astrological medicine. Saturn, in particular, was associated with melancholy, old age, sickness, and mortality but also with wisdom, contemplation, and spiritual depth.

Why Choose This Print?

• Rare and evocative Renaissance occult artwork by Heinrich Aldegrever (1533)

• Depicts Saturn/Cronus with scythe and devoured child, rich in mythological and astrological symbolism

• Perfect example of Northern Renaissance engraving fused with esoteric tradition

• A profound memento mori print reminding of mortality, time, and transformation

• Ideal for collections of occult art, astrology, alchemy, and mythological illustration

• Available on high-quality canvas or hand-made aged paper for authentic vintage feel

Perfect For

• Collectors of Renaissance and occult prints

• Practitioners of Hermeticism, astrology, and alchemy

• Enthusiasts of dark academia, gothic art, and esoteric symbolism

• Decor for libraries, studies, ritual chambers, or occult-themed interiors

• A powerful gift for lovers of myth, Saturnian wisdom, and memento mori art

Saturn as Eternal Time

This Saturnus print by Aldegrever (1533) is more than a mythological image. It is a visual meditation on the inescapable passage of time, destruction, and transformation. As Saturn devours the child, the viewer is forced to confront the eternal truth: time spares no one, but in its severity lies the seed of wisdom and transcendence.

👉 Bring this Saturnus Occult Print into your collection today—an eternal reminder of mortality, discipline, and the mysteries of time’s devouring power.

Canvas vs. Hand-Made Paper — Print Comparison Guide