Featured Emblem book about Horace by Otto Vaenius (1607)

Another addition to my collection! This book is (unfortunately) not complete, it contains only 97 of the 102 copper engravings, designed by the famous painter and engraver Otto van Veen (also know as Otto Vaenius). Hij was the teacher of Peter Paul Rubens. He is known to be operating between the renaissance and the baroque art style. I have already another book of Otto van Veen in my collection. @2manycats mentioned this book in my post.




The book is about Horace and contains copper engravings and poems. In my edition (the second edition from 1607) the text contains French and Dutch poems next to the original Latin text.



The Dutch language is very hard to understand, just as our national anthem that originates from the same era. An example for the Dutch speakers here:

De wijsheyt van de Sotheyt vliet:
De deught moet van d'ondeughden wijcken /
Twee teghen-deelen paeren niet /
Ghelijck sich voeght by sijns ghelijcken.
De sieckten van den gheest men moet
Verwinnen door het vlieden wijslijck;
De vlucht die ons beloopen doet
Der eeren crans / is nut en prijslijck.









There she is again: the multi-breasted lady (Artemis/Diana).



The binding is from a later date, probably the 18th or 19th century.

 

some gifted artists back in the day !!!!!!

 

Another treasure, congratulations on a great find.

Clearly transitional, and beautiful work.

 

Beautiful engravings --Thank you for sharing!

 

Stunnnnnnning! I love the Death (?) piece. Is that a scene of Styx? They're all beautifully executed.

I have since read up on our multi-endowed Lady and I had seen the sculptures that inspired her before. I had thought the "adornment" looked more like hanging decoration than boobs (though i understand the thought process for breasts). Apparently there are theories that decoration is all they are. Can't blame an artist for wanting to design something eye catching though....

 

The death scene is called Mortis Certitudo (The Certainty of Death)

This engraving illustrates the inevitability of death. A skeletal Death draws lots from an urn, handing fate to people of every rank—kings, soldiers, peasants alike—while cities burn in the background. The accompanying texts, drawn from Horace and rendered in Latin, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and French, all echo the same truth: wealth, beauty, or noble birth offer no escape. The urn of fate ensures that sooner or later every life is summoned to Charon’s boat. Death is certain; only the time, place, and manner remain unknown.

Accompanying text:

MORTIS CERTITVDO.
Lib. 2.
Od. 3.
Diuésne prisco natus ab Inacho,
Nil interest, an pauper, & infima
De gente sub dio morêris,
Victima nil miserantis Orci.
Omnes eôdem cogimur: omnium
Versatur vrna: seriùs ocyùs
Sors exitura, & nos in æternum
Exsilium impositura cymbæ.
Hic seruus, dum vixit, erat, nunc mortuus idem
Non quàm, tu Dari Magne, minora potest.

Lib. 3.
Od. 1.
Est, vt viro vir latiùs ordinet
Arbusta sulcis: hic generosior
Descendat in campum petitor:
Moribus hic, meliorque fama
Contendat: illi turba clientium
Sit maior.Æqua lege necessitas
Sortitur insignes, & imos.
Omne capax mouet vrna nomen.

Si es fuerça acudir todos
A la triste oficina de la muerte,
Que por diuersos modos
O mas corta, ò mas larga da vna suerte,
En que nos confiamos
Si de prestado enesta vida estamos?
La mas bella hermosura,
La iuuentud del mundo mas lozana,
Ya en agraz, ya madura,
Con la vejez la embarca esta tyrana,
Que vn flaco fundamento
Le deshaze sin manos qualquier viento.

Ten baet niet of ghy sijt ghesproten
Van Cresus machtich rijck gheslacht /
Of van slecht volxken ongheacht /
Indien v naem (ghemeen int loten)
V vande doot wert voortghebracht:
Die t' lot toeualt moet haest opbreecken /
Hoe cleyn van staet / of groot van pracht /
Want hier en gelt gheen wederspreecken.

Certa è la morte, com'incerto il Fato;
A loco, e à tempo ogni mortal ritroua,
Ne l'esser Creso, ò d'alta stirpe nato,
O di progenie humil rileua, ò gioua,
S'auien che fuor del'vrna, ou' ha notato,
Ogni mortal, la sorte caui ò moua;
Poueri, e ricchi ad vn, piccioli e grandi
Riceuon le sue sorti, i suoi comandi.

La Mort, tost ou tard, nous deuale
Là bas vers la riue infernale.
Lors que lon tire nostre lot,
Il faut soudain trousser bagage
Pour au malpiteux matelot
d'Acheron, demander passage.
Espoir de grace & de pardon
N'a place en la Cour de Pluton.

Qui dessus la santé fonde trop d'esperance,
Couue souuent la mort au centre de son seing,
Qu'il faille à tous mourir; rien n'est de plus certain:
Mais ou, quant, & comment, nul n'en tient asseurance.

 

I like the Certainty of Death one too. "Hope of grace and pardon (escape?) don't have a place in Pluto's heart."...or thereabouts.