Il Giardino degli Arcani

This image alludes to the Tarot, particularly the Major Arcana, a series of twenty-two cards in the deck of 78. These cards are positioned on the steps at the center of the composition. At the top of the staircase, there is an enigmatic figure with feet and a head like a bird (symbolizing the Human Soul and Air), but its wings are like those of a butterfly (symbolizing human life). This allegorical giant bird offers a small butterfly to another figure. The latter has a bird’s nest above its head. Unlike the allegorical figure, this one is not naked because it is a minor figure. Therefore, the image represents an initiatory path, and its final step is depicted by the giant bird that is free (indeed, every cage in the composition is open) and can fly.