Bilder Girolamo Ruscelli (1504–1566) – Allegorical emblem of Alberico Cibo Malaspina – engraving (1572)

Beskrivning

This engraving features an allegorical emblem dedicated to Alberico Cibo Malaspina, the Marquis of Massa, centered on a page of Italian text. The central image, set within an elaborate Renaissance strapwork frame, depicts a bird, identified in the text as a heron, standing in a natural landscape while looking up toward a banner or arc in the sky. This work was published as part of a significant collection of emblems that celebrated the personal mottos and noble character of prominent Italian figures. The surrounding Italian text provides a detailed philosophical and historical commentary, explaining the symbolic significance of the heron and the celestial arc in relation to the subject's personal virtues and noble status.

Girolamo Ruscelli was an influential Italian writer, editor, and polymath active in Venice during the mid-sixteenth century. He is widely recognized for his significant contributions to cartography, specifically his expanded edition of Ptolemy's Geography, as well as his work on linguistics and courtly emblems. His publication Le Imprese Illustri became a definitive reference for the study of heraldry and symbolic devices among the European aristocracy. Ruscelli's work is characterized by a high degree of scholarly rigor and an elegant aesthetic that defined the intellectual standards of the late Renaissance.

Artist or Maker: Girolamo Ruscelli.

Dimensions: Approximately 26 cm x 18 cm.

Medium: engraving.

Date: 1572.

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.