In this post I want to explore the symbolism found in the Grammar card from Mantegna Tarocchi. Some of the symbolism can be traced to earlier sources, while some things require some speculations. You don’t need to be familiar with the Mantegna Tarocchi to appreciate the symbolism. If you want to read about this mysterious… Continue reading Mantegna Tarocchi Symbolism: Grammar (Card 21)
Category: art
Symbolism: Allegory of Arithmetic by Laurent de La Hyre
In this post I want to discuss the symbolism found in the painting “Allegory of Arithmetic” by the baroque painter Laurent de La Hyre. This painting belongs to La Hyre’s series of paintings on the liberal arts. Since Martianus Capella ( 5th century AD), the seven liberal arts were divided in trivium (grammar, logic/dialectics and… Continue reading Symbolism: Allegory of Arithmetic by Laurent de La Hyre
Review: Iconologia by Cesare Ripa
Every student of western symbolism should familiarize himself with Iconologia by Cesare Ripa. In the simplest terms, Iconologia can be described as a dictionary of allegorical images. The fist edition was published in 1593 in Perugia. You can find some general info on the Wikipedia page dedicated to Cesare Ripa. The use of allegorical images… Continue reading Review: Iconologia by Cesare Ripa