Bilder Jacob Cats (1577–1660) – VEL TACTU PERIT OMNIS HONOS (Or By the Touch All Honour is Lost) – Engraving (c. 1650)

Beskrivning

This print is an example of an emblematic illustration from the moral literature of the 17th century. The central circular engraving depicts a hand reaching down to pick a bunch of grapes from a plate resting on a table, with a draped curtain visible to the right. The image is surmounted by the Latin motto, "VEL TACTU PERIT OMNIS HONOS" (Or By the Touch All Honour is Lost), suggesting a moral about restraint and the immediate loss of integrity or honor upon yielding to temptation. Below the image, columns of Latin text provide the accompanying moral lessons and classical citations from writers such as Vives and Plautus.

Jacob Cats was a famous Dutch poet, jurist, and moralist whose books, known as emblem books, were enormously popular and provided these illustrated moral lessons for a broad audience. While he was the author of the text and moral concepts, his name is the central attribution associated with the work's creation and publication, consistent with his widely circulated emblems.

Artist or Maker: Jacob Cats

Dimensions: Approximately 25 cm x 17 cm

Medium: Engraving

Date: c. 1650

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.