Renaissance emblematics

Nuptial celebrations for the queens of the House of Austria provided great festive splendor in the Early Modern Age, expressed in the form of an allegorical parade as they entered the different cities on their route towards the Court of their final destination.

This paper deals with Joachim Camerarius (1534-1598), a German
botanist and physician, and his emblem Vulnere vulnera sano (Century I, n.º XXXVI), in which the tree of the balsam is represented for the first time in the emblematic genre. After the study of the sources of this emblem and its symbolic meaning, the authors analyze the survival of the Spanish term bálsamo and its derivative balsámico, whose origin had not been identified till now.

In Regards croisés sur la Lorraine et le monde à la Renaissance, Actes du colloque de l’Académie de Stanislas sous la direction de Bernard Guidot, Annales de l’Est, 1, 2014, p. 157-169.
One of the most intriguing and fascinating features of the early modern Europe emblem and device culture is its ability to use objects of the banal everyday realty, tools and instruments, chosen as visual metaphors to emphasize various intentions as well as moral, political and religious ideas. The meaningful density that is given to the least figure through the tension between picture (or illustration in the printed book) and text in the emblematic process, invites to consider the interesting case of a simple and empirical tool, the plane, analysed in every formal and symbolic collages. Emblems by Claude Paradin and Guillaume de la Perrière, referred to their historical and literary background, give a confirmation to the importance of this motif. It takes a variety of forms and serves a variety of purposes. The principal topoi associated with the plane - the opposition between the rough and the smooth, the search for a perfectly polished and measurable reality - are disconcerting and revealing. They provide a deep and positive meditation on a gesture familiar to every artist and craftsman, as it can be demonstrated through various examples (intarsia). Meanwhile, they express one of the main generic form of the humanism, the trend to improvement, as suggested in Jean Pèlerin’s device.

Este trabajo estudia el emblema LXIII, el último y más extenso
de la colección, que el jurista y poeta francés Denis Lebey de Batilly
(Dionysius Lebeus Batillius) dedicó a la amistad (Amicitia) en sus
Emblemata (Fráncfort, T. de Bry, 1596). El argumento es la imagen
alegórica de la Vera amicitia que describieron autores como Robert
Holcot, Gregor Reisch, Paulus Fagius, Lilio G. Gyraldi, Laurens van
Haecht y Cesare Ripa. Por un lado, se identi% ca al mitógrafo Gyraldi
como fuente indiscutible del emblema y, por otro, se señala la procedencia
de todos los extractos de la paraphrasis que lo acompaña.
Asimismo, se muestra que el método seguido por el autor en la composición
de la paraphrasis es el característico de un compilador de
florilegios o de libros de loci communes, seleccionando, y a veces
manipulando, un rico surtido de excerpta greco-latinos relativos a
la amistad.

This paper studies the emblem LXIII, the last and longest of
the collection, dedicated to the friendship by the French jurist and
poet Denis Lebey de Batilly (Dionysius Lebeus Batillius) in his
Emblemata (Frankfurt, T. de Bry, 1596). The subject is the allegorical
image of the Vera amicitia described by some authors, such as Robert
Holcot, Gregor Reisch, Paulus Fagius, Lilio G. Gyraldi, Laurens van
Haecht and Cesare Ripa. On one side, Gyraldi is identfied as the
indisputable source of the emblem and, on the other, the origin of all
extracts of the paraphrasis accompanying the emblem is identified.
Also, the method followed by the author in the composition of the
paraphrasis —as it remains demonstrated— is the characteristic of a
compilator of florilegia or the loci communes books, selecting —and
sometimes manipulating— a rich stock of Greek-Latin excerpta on
the friendship.

The author analyzes the development of the heraldic studies in connection with the historical development of Italy. By the beginning of the 20th century the initial accumulation of facts on the history of heraldry and nobility and of urban and territorial symbols were completed. In the first half of this century requirements to the reliability of heraldic information have increased. The central position in the study of noble heraldry owns the most developed cities (in the past signorial or republic). Founded in 1877 Italian Institute of Genealogy still exists, being transformed into a Noble Academy of heraldry in Italy. Since the 1960s began to revive thirst for understanding the symbolism of the past, that reached its climax in the last third of the 20th century. The main works in the field of Italian heraldry were written by J. Bernabò di Negro, A. Agosto, R. Pavon. J., and M. Del Baskape Piazza, who tried to identify the criteria for a scientific approach to the study of Heraldry. Today, the level of Italian heraldry is defined by scientific researchs and by publication of the sources. At the same time the level of works of amateurs who have to take into account the world experience of the scientific heraldry, has significantly been changed.

This paper studies the three emblems dedicated to the friendship by the poet, artist and antiquarian Jean Jacques Boissard in his Emblematum Liber (Frankfurt, T. de Bry, 1593), with two new and important contributions: ?rst, the sources of the res signi#cans of the emblem so much as those of the Latin paraphrasis that accompanies it are identi?ed; and second, the method followed by the author in the composition of the paraphrasis – as it remains demonstrated – is characteristic of a compilator of medieval anthologies, selecting and even sometimes manipulating excerpta of long tradition on the friendship, in a subtle combination of classicism and christianism.

This paper studies emblem XXVIII, Paci studere praestat quam bello, by
the French jurist Denis Lebey Batilly in the two editions of his book Emblemata (Frankfurt, Th. de Bry, 1596 and Heidelberg, Voegelin, 1600). The subject is the contest between Athena and Poseidon, a well-known myth to signify the allegorical image of Peace. On the one hand, I identify the variants of this myth and, on the other hand, I show that the analysis of sources of the res significans, as well as those of the Latin paraphrasis that accompanies the emblem, reveals that Pierio Valeriano’s Hieroglyphica (Basel, 1556) is the primary source of the emblem.

W XVI-wiecznej ikonografii Jana Zamoyskiego wyraźnie wyłania się plastyczne wyobrażenie „Utraque civis” („Dwojako obywatel”), czyli specyficzny wizerunek, zawierający ukrytą narrację werbalną jako rozwiązanie abstrakcyjne w formie nadbudowanej fabuły... - abstrakt wystąpienia na konferencji naukowej pt. "Oblicza portretu" (Muzeum Narodowe, Gdańsk 24.05.2018)

L'articolo esamina il valore dell''impresa' per Scipione Ammirato (1531-1601) - autore di un importante dialogo sulle imprese, Il Rota (1562) - in relazione alla poetica di fondo di questo letterato. Particolare importanza viene data alla sua costante ricerca di efficacia e di concretezza per il tramite dell''esempio', al fine di offrire insegnamenti morali. La ricerca di concretezza ed efficacia non impedisce però l'esplicarsi di un gusto raffinato ed elitario, attraverso la possibilità di un'interpretazione a più livelli dell'impresa. La concezione dell'impresa da parte dell'Ammirato rivela così significative corrispondenze con le riflessioni del suo dialogo Il Dedalione, con gli altri ambiti cui egli si dedicò (in particolare la biografia), con l'influsso dell'ambiente napoletano frequentato in gioventù (con speciale riferimento a Bernardino Rota) e con la sua partecipazione all'Accademia fiorentina degli Alterati, per come è possibile ricostruirla sulla base del manoscritto Diario degli Alterati. Proprio sugli Alterati è incentrata l'ultima parte dell'intervento, per valutare l'interesse di questa accademia per le imprese e, più in generale, per le arti figurative (particolare rilievo assume, in questo contesto, la figura di Filippo Sassetti).

In this paper, I propose a digital edition of an early modern emblem using the interactivity of the screen: it requires an active reader who seeks and explores links and anchors in order to decipher the specific and deeper meaning of this iconic and symbolic device. Such a meaning is experienced as a visual reading as well as an exploration of the iconic geography of the emblem itself.

Le symbolisme de la nature vivante se transmet avec son trésor de sagesse accumulé depuis l'Antiquité dans la littérature emblématique des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, par le biais de la fable mais aussi à travers des renouvellements formels et spirituels surprenants. Le propos, ici délibérément général, veut faire réfléchir aux enjeux philosophiques toujours actuels des emplois symboliques des représentations des formes vivantes.

espanolSe propone una edicion digital de un emblema de Alciato usando la interactividad que proporciona la pantalla de ordenador. Se requiere un lector activo que investiga y explora enlaces y anclajes para descifrar el significado profundo del mecanismo iconico y simbolico. Este significado se experimenta como lectura visual a la vez que como exploracion de la geografia iconica del emblema. EnglishThis article proposes a digital edition of an early modern emblem by Alciato using the interactivity of the screen. It requires an active reader who seeks and explores links and nchors in order to decipher the specific and deeper meaning of this iconic and symbolic device. Such a meaning is experienced as a visual reading as well as an exploration of the iconic geography of the emblem itself

Artykuł został poświęcony uroczystościom proklamacji królewskiej Filipa V i Ferdynanda VI w Cusco (Peru), które odbyły się 8 stycznia 1702 r. i 23 września 1747 r. Rekonstrukcja świąt była możliwa dzięki trzem źródłom: kronice miasta napisanej w połowie XVIII w. przez Diego de Esquivela y Navię oraz dwóm drukom okazjonalnym zawierającym opisy uroczystości autorstwa Pedro José de Bermúdeza (1702) i José Antonio Santandera (1748). W artykule została przeanalizowana oprawa artystyczna związana z uroczystościami, a także w pewnym zakresie odtworzono wygląd architektury okazjonalnej wraz ze zdobiącym ją malarstwem. Program ikonograficzny w czasie proklamacji Ferdynanda VI odzwierciedlał społeczny i polityczny kontekst uroczystości, która stanowiła manifestację dążeń emancypacyjnych miasta opierających się na podkreślaniu starożytności Cusco i jego bogatej tradycji imperialnej w okresie przedhiszpańskim.

Durante los siglos XVII y XVIII se compusieron en las cortes europeas los conocidos como epitalamios o himeneos, un género de literatura nupcial realizado en el contexto de las grandes bodas regias con un propósito claramente propagandístico. Con este fina las imágenes grabadas e incluso literarias fueron clave a la hora de difundir las ideas de prosperidad, abundancia y fertilidad que conllevaba la unión de dos dinastías regias a través del vínculo conyugal. Entre las imágenes que remitían a esa idea de la riqueza y de la abundancia varias son recurrentes en estos epitalamios, que serán el hilo conductor de nuestro análisis.

Publié dans Le livre demeure. Studies in Book History in Honour of Alison Saunders, Alison Adams et Philip Ford eds., Librairie Droz, Cahiers d'Humanisme et Renaissance n° 97, 2011Ces "Notes de lecture en marge du Discours sur les medalles et graveures antiques… d’Antoine Le Pois (1579)" empruntent leur titre à une pièce liminaire de l'ouvrage étudié.  Ecrit en français, orné de délicates gravures par Pierre Woeiriot, le livre d’Antoine Le Pois n’a jamais été commenté. C’est à peine s’il a retenu l’attention des historiens de la numismatique antique. Ce médecin du duc de Lorraine Charles III, antiquaire et collectionneur de sensibilité calviniste, a pourtant un propos ambitieux : il s’agit de faire servir un remarquable ensemble de médailles et de pierre gravées romaines à un ensemble d’observations sur la civilisation des Anciens, et par là à une réflexion sur l’image et la pensée figurée qui procure en filigrane un répertoire de sentences et de devises.

Das 17. Jahrhundert war ein bewegtes Jahrhundert, durchzogen von gesellschaftlichem Umbruch, von neu-entdeckter, kultureller Identifikation, von Konfessionsfragen und von Krieg. Inmitten der absolutistischen Blüte der europäischen Herrschaftshäuser entwickelte der stetig wachsende Gelehrtenstand ein starkes kulturelles und sprachliches Bewusstsein. Sogar im deutschen Raum, politisch durch die Eigentümlichkeit des Heiligen Römischen Reichs in viele, einzelne Trümmerstaaten geteilt, entwickelte sich langsam, vor allem dank der Reformation, ein zunehmendes Bewusstsein für die 'teutsche' Sprache (...)

Der Essay "Die Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft - deutsche picta poesis zwischen Späthumanismus und Barock" analysiert den Kupferstisch 'Die Hänselung' von Peter Isselburg (1622/1710) und möchte, neben einer Charakterisierung des Ordens der Fruchtbringer, anhand der gemachten Erkentnisse das frühneuzeitliche Selbstverständnis der Adels- und Bildungsschicht inmitten des Konfessionsstreits darstellen.

[French abstract ] Pour les auteurs des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, il était courant d’opposer Vénus, déesse de la beauté et de la sensualité, à Diane, déesse de la chasteté. En revanche, il est plus rare d’observer Vénus dans une relation de contraste avec la Gorgone Méduse. C’est pourtant le cas dans le vers « A Gorgon shadowed under Venus’ face », tiré des Sonnets to the Fairest Coelia (1594), de William Percy. Le Poète-Amant est victime d’un trompe-l’oeil inversé : la Dame qu’il aime lui donne l’illusion d’être une statue de Vénus, mais elle est bien un être vivant, malgré sa peau ivoirine. La belle révèle alors le visage d’une hideuse Gorgone au regard pétrifiant. Ce vers de Percy résume bien la superposition dans la poésie amoureuse des deux mythes de Vénus et de Méduse, c’est-à-dire de la beauté voluptueuse sous laquelle se cache la cruauté meurtrière – également illustrée par d’autres figures mythologiques au charme captieux : les Sirènes, Circé, ou Pandore.