'NON FACIUNT HOMINES QUOE DICUNT: DICERE (…)' (SAME TEXT IN GERMAN)'

This print shows an allegory and a view on the city of Seveilla, Spain. In the front a harnassed man holding a sword in one hand and a foot o an alligator standing nearby a column. The city in the back.

Made by Anonymous after Daniel Meisner.

Medium: Engraving / etching on hand laid (verge) paper. Watermark: yes.

Sheet size: 16 x 12 cm (6.3 x 4.72 inch). Image size: 14.5 x 10 cm. (5.71 x 3.94 inch).

Condition: fair, given age. Fold in lower left corner. Some creases. No 11 with pencil in margin. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully.

CITY-SEVILLA-SPAIN-ALLIGATOR-HARNASSED MAN | RBOS-A8-23

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

From 'Thesauri Philo-Politici' / 'Thesaurus Philopoliticus' / 'Politisches Schatzkastleins'. This work was originally created in the period 1623-1632 and consisted of 16 parts, first published separately and then together in 2 books of 8 parts ea. Altogether it had 830 prints. Later editions were published in 1637-1638 by Paul Furst (titled 'Sciographia Cormica') and in 1678 by his widow (titled:'Sciagraphia Cosmica'). Complete editions are scarse. The primary objective was the poetry and accompanying emblems with a moralising symbolism. The city views were secondary and mainly served for decoration. There is no particular tie between the poetry and the city. The city views were mostly engraved after popular engravings at the time from the works of Guicciardini, Braun/Hogenberg, Munster and others. The Poetry consists of a aphorism or theme in German or Latin at the top, a 2 line relating poem in Latin below the image and a 4 line relating poem in German below. In the engravings there is always a foreground which illustrates the theme and a city view in the background.

Biography artist: Daniel Meisner (1585-1625) was a Bohemian / German poet.