Geometria, from "The Seven Liberal Arts"
First conceptualized in the Middle Ages, the term "liberal arts" refers to the areas of study deemed necessary to attain an education grounded in classical antiquity. These subjects, which were divided into two categories—the trivium (grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music)—became common themes for allegorical prints in the early modern period. While Sadeler conceptualized the practice of arithmetic as a personal act of concentration, Geometria sits among classical ruins and exotic animals demonstrating geometry’s application in fields such as architecture, astronomy, cosmology, geography, and surveying.
Artwork Details
- Title: Geometria, from "The Seven Liberal Arts"
- Series/Portfolio: The Seven Liberal Arts
- Artist: Johann Sadeler I (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600/1601 Venice)
- Artist: After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp)
- Date: ca. 1570–1600
- Medium: Engraving and etching
- Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 5 13/16 × 4 5/16 in. (14.7 × 11 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
- Object Number: 49.95.1495
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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