Wisdom and Time placing the royal throne on the globe (La Sagesse et le Temps plaçant le trône royal sur le globe terrestre)
Etching, part of a series of nine round prints with emblematic subjects of the glory of Henry II, all with dark backgrounds made up of thin, horizontal lines, and with a white exergue on the bottom, likely destined for inscriptions. In this etching, Wisdom is personified by Minerva, on the left, with her attributes: a shield, a helmet and a spear, placing the throne, which is flanked by a half moon, on the globe. To the left is Time, or Saturn, with wings and goat feet, holding a scythe on one hand and a second crescent moon, above the first one, on the other. Above the throne and crescent moons is a laurel wreath, as if crowning the composition. The allegory in this etching might be understood as the union of Minerva and Saturn to make the reign of Henry II a durable and wise one.
Artwork Details
- Title: Wisdom and Time placing the royal throne on the globe (La Sagesse et le Temps plaçant le trône royal sur le globe terrestre)
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Date: ca. 1557
- Medium: Etching
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 1 3/4 × 1 13/16 in. (4.4 × 4.6 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1947
- Object Number: 47.139.43
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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