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DOI Artikel:Bentkowska-Kafel, Anna: Navigatio Vitae: elements of Emblematic Symbolism in 17th century Dutch seascapes
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18898#0036
as Giłles Corrozet wrote in the emblem Peril incogneu (Peril Unknown, fig. 3)14.
In Picinelli, a rock bringing ships to ruin, ,,fu posto per simbolo di morte". It is also a symbol
of all evil tliat surrounds man as well as the evil that he carries within15. But positive meanings
prevail over negative ones: a rock symbolizes primarily -yirtue — it not only endures and resists
but also figlits off and abates the violcnt assault of cvii. The rock never gives in, it is enduring
and inflexible. For a man of firm heart, and sound of mind, who stroves towards true virtue,
it is a pattern to imitate16. Like a rock that never ccases to defend itself against the wind and
water, man must be strong in the face of the fickleness of fate., never yield to inconstancy and
not lose hope in apperently hopeless situations; thus he must be fixus in rebus minime fixis,
immotus in incerlis etfluctuantibiis, non aliter ac rupes ąuaedam yentorum, fluctumąue impetu (...)
frangent"". The comparison of virtue to a rock, and sea Waves to disaster and failure in human
life was illustrated in numerous emblems. Hadrianus Junius (Adriaen de Jonge) used the image
of the rock in 1565 when he incited the young to virtue: Pelram imitare juveniusla (fig. 4). Juan
de Boria also wrotc that virtue grew from the waves and Was inflexible in the emblem Ferendo
vincam (I Will Win through Suffering)19. Besides, virtue is boundless, as Gabriel Rollenhagen
observed: Nescit labi rirtus (Virtue knows no limits)20. Similarly, Hernando de Soto (Nihil
perpetuum. Ninguna cosa ay perpetua — Nothing constant)21 and Sebastian de Covarrubias
Orozco (Undiąue pulsus — Blows from everywhere)22 instruct that the only support to man,
who is constantly surrounded by a sea of evil and misfoitunes, is the firmness of his character
that is symbolized by a rock in all the above-mentioned emblenis.
On the right-hand side of Jacob Adriaensz Bellevois's painting Storm at a Rocky Shore (Brun-
swick, Herzog Anton Urlich-Museum, fig. 5), a łmge rock sticks out of the water, and there
is a castle, slightly covered by the clouds, at its peak. It is accessible only by narrow and steep
wooden steps. In the emblem A quo trepidabo (What am I to fcar), Georgette de Montenay
(Georgia Montanca) shows a man ascending a ladder from the rocks emerging from the surface
of the sea towards heaven from where a helpful hand is extended (fig. 6):
Cest homme icy, prest a tumber en bas,
Et se froisser, au moins eu apparence,
Monte tousiours, et rassure son pas,
Sachant que Dieu le soustient d'assurance.
Que tout Chrestien donc prie en confiance.
Dieu, qui'il le tienne, et ne le laisse point.
Car s'il nous laisse, il n'y a espcrance
D'aucun salut iusqu'a a un petit poinct23.
14. G. Corrozet, Hecatomgraphie..., op. cii.; cf. Henke], Schóne, op. cii., col. 1467.
A rock hidden under the water
Unknown to sailors
Crashes the ship, and the deep waters
Engulf the sailors.
15. F. Picinelli, Mondo Simbolico, op. cii., lib. II, capo XXXIII: Scoglio, No. 39.
16. F. Picinelli, op. cii., Nos. 383—387.
17. F. Picinelli, op. cii.. No. 386; (after:) St. Gregory of Nyssa, orat. XVII:
...constant in the least constant moments, inflexible—
at insecure and changeable ones, like rocks that resist
the assaults of the wind and waves.
18. Hadriani Iunii Mediei Emblemata..., Antverpiae, 1565; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 67.
19. J. de Boria, Empresas Morales, op. cii.; cf. A. Schone, Emblemalik und Drama im Zeitalter des Bancie, Mimchen, 1964,
pp. 133—134.
20. G. Rollenhagen, Nucleus Emblematum Selectissijnorum..., Arnhem, 1611; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 86.
21. H. de Soto, Emblemas moralizados..., Madrid, 1599; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cit., col. 67.
22. S. de Covarruhias Orozco, Emblemas morales..., Madrid, 1610; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 68.
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In Picinelli, a rock bringing ships to ruin, ,,fu posto per simbolo di morte". It is also a symbol
of all evil tliat surrounds man as well as the evil that he carries within15. But positive meanings
prevail over negative ones: a rock symbolizes primarily -yirtue — it not only endures and resists
but also figlits off and abates the violcnt assault of cvii. The rock never gives in, it is enduring
and inflexible. For a man of firm heart, and sound of mind, who stroves towards true virtue,
it is a pattern to imitate16. Like a rock that never ccases to defend itself against the wind and
water, man must be strong in the face of the fickleness of fate., never yield to inconstancy and
not lose hope in apperently hopeless situations; thus he must be fixus in rebus minime fixis,
immotus in incerlis etfluctuantibiis, non aliter ac rupes ąuaedam yentorum, fluctumąue impetu (...)
frangent"". The comparison of virtue to a rock, and sea Waves to disaster and failure in human
life was illustrated in numerous emblems. Hadrianus Junius (Adriaen de Jonge) used the image
of the rock in 1565 when he incited the young to virtue: Pelram imitare juveniusla (fig. 4). Juan
de Boria also wrotc that virtue grew from the waves and Was inflexible in the emblem Ferendo
vincam (I Will Win through Suffering)19. Besides, virtue is boundless, as Gabriel Rollenhagen
observed: Nescit labi rirtus (Virtue knows no limits)20. Similarly, Hernando de Soto (Nihil
perpetuum. Ninguna cosa ay perpetua — Nothing constant)21 and Sebastian de Covarrubias
Orozco (Undiąue pulsus — Blows from everywhere)22 instruct that the only support to man,
who is constantly surrounded by a sea of evil and misfoitunes, is the firmness of his character
that is symbolized by a rock in all the above-mentioned emblenis.
On the right-hand side of Jacob Adriaensz Bellevois's painting Storm at a Rocky Shore (Brun-
swick, Herzog Anton Urlich-Museum, fig. 5), a łmge rock sticks out of the water, and there
is a castle, slightly covered by the clouds, at its peak. It is accessible only by narrow and steep
wooden steps. In the emblem A quo trepidabo (What am I to fcar), Georgette de Montenay
(Georgia Montanca) shows a man ascending a ladder from the rocks emerging from the surface
of the sea towards heaven from where a helpful hand is extended (fig. 6):
Cest homme icy, prest a tumber en bas,
Et se froisser, au moins eu apparence,
Monte tousiours, et rassure son pas,
Sachant que Dieu le soustient d'assurance.
Que tout Chrestien donc prie en confiance.
Dieu, qui'il le tienne, et ne le laisse point.
Car s'il nous laisse, il n'y a espcrance
D'aucun salut iusqu'a a un petit poinct23.
14. G. Corrozet, Hecatomgraphie..., op. cii.; cf. Henke], Schóne, op. cii., col. 1467.
A rock hidden under the water
Unknown to sailors
Crashes the ship, and the deep waters
Engulf the sailors.
15. F. Picinelli, Mondo Simbolico, op. cii., lib. II, capo XXXIII: Scoglio, No. 39.
16. F. Picinelli, op. cii., Nos. 383—387.
17. F. Picinelli, op. cii.. No. 386; (after:) St. Gregory of Nyssa, orat. XVII:
...constant in the least constant moments, inflexible—
at insecure and changeable ones, like rocks that resist
the assaults of the wind and waves.
18. Hadriani Iunii Mediei Emblemata..., Antverpiae, 1565; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 67.
19. J. de Boria, Empresas Morales, op. cii.; cf. A. Schone, Emblemalik und Drama im Zeitalter des Bancie, Mimchen, 1964,
pp. 133—134.
20. G. Rollenhagen, Nucleus Emblematum Selectissijnorum..., Arnhem, 1611; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 86.
21. H. de Soto, Emblemas moralizados..., Madrid, 1599; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cit., col. 67.
22. S. de Covarruhias Orozco, Emblemas morales..., Madrid, 1610; cf. Henkel, Schone, op. cii., col. 68.
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