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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#0044
spoke both about amor divinus and amor profanus compared the often uncertain fate of love
to a ship starting on a long voyage into the unknown, fuli of adventures and dangers.
The motif of the lighthouse is the chief element of Cat's emblem Monstrat, non ducit (Showing,
not guiding), the imago, oi which is the repctition of the illustration of the emblem Luceat lux
vestra... (fig. 11). It presents a wingcd Cupid who stands at the seashore at night, under a basket
with burning coals susperided high up, that shows the ships the way to port, but does not preclude
danger completely. Cats coiapares the role that a lighthouse plays for the benefit of ships to
the role of love in man's ]ife and the role of the cmotion that helps him to choose the beloved
one. (Cupid says: „A moy la monstre, a toi la rencontre"40). But it does not guaiantce happiness,
as it depends only on the right conduct of those in love. In a painting by an unknown Dutch
painter (Warsaw, National Museum, fig. 12), we see a festively dressed company from a little
town that is shown in the background — three couples walking along the beach. Above them,
on a high mountain, there is a lighted lighthouse and beside is the keeper's cabin. Thus the
light of the lighthouse is intended both for the crew of the ship that crosses the rough sea and
for lovers: it warns the former against the dańger of the sea, and the latter against the fatal
force of unchaste love. In love emblems, the edifyińg tone is particularly powerful. The warning
against the suffering of love and the pain and even death it may bring is present in the texts
that praise its omnipresent power, or even apotheosisise it41. A sea.voyage, that is compared
to tuman life in all the emblems discussed (regardless of the expression of this metaphor: dealing
with morals, politics, religion or love), is inseparable from the ąuestion Quo fata trahunt (Where
fate leads us). It Was posed by Gabriel Kollenhagen who recommended the reader to submit
to fate:
Quidfacias ? ,quo Fata trahunt retrahtmtąue seąuendum est
Ilia etiam ,juvitos vis rapit. Ergo.iseąuor12. * V
The imago of the emblem shows a wrecked boat, the body of which dirfts on the surface of the
Water and is driven to* the shore by the current. The reeds, a symbol of compliance but not
submittancę to fate (cf. Camerarius','emblem Fleetimur nónfrangimur — We bend but we do
not break 43) and the castle, a symbol of courage, heroism and virtue complement the image
and counterbalance the merely bad ąualities assocjated with a drifting boat.
The fish act as the allies of the sailors and fishermen because of their innate instinct that
enables them to choose routes without reefs and deceptive currents and show safe routes to
ships. In the emblem Tutius ad portum (More safely to port) Delphinus... navem ducis in modum
praenata,ns et commiseratione quasi imminentis hominibus periculi adductus, viam illis e scopulis
evadendi, dudu suo demonslransii. This can be illustrated with numerous examples from Dutch
painting, to mentipn just Willem van Diesfs Yachts on the Rough Sea (Amsterdam, antiąuarian
market) and Hendrik van Anthonissen's Rough Sea (Warsaw, National Museum). As was the
case with most of the emblems discussed above, the last quoted one compares a storm at sea
to human life, fuli of turbulence, evil and fear, wickedness and injustice (pita nostra terribilem
fluctuum jactationem, meius et horror, impietatis et injustitiae procellarum plena est)45.
40. J. Cats, Monita Amoris Virginei, sive Officium Pucllarum in caslis Amoribus: Emblemata Expressiim, Ist ed. Middcl-
burg, 1618:
I sliow so that you could meet.
41. J. Pelc, op. cii., p. 162 and f.; M. Praz, Studies in seventeenth-Century Imagsry, Roma, 1964, Chup. III, passim.
42. G. Rollenbagen, Selectorum Emblematum Centuria Secunda, Arnhem, 1613; cf. Henkel, Schóne, op. cit., col. 1480:
What can be done? One must follow the guidance of fate.
This force rapes even the stubborn. Hencc, I go, too.
43. J. Camcrarius, Symbolorum et emblematum ex re herbaria..., Norimbergae, 1590, e. XCV.
44. Oratio lertiap classis recitalu a Vito a Slreilberg in: Emblemata Annwersaria..., op. cit., p. 141:
A dolphin... that has got ahead of the commander's ship and bas taken pity as i f because of the danger that the peopl^
face, his guidance shows which route must bc taken to avoid the rocks.
45. Oratio terliae..., op. cit.
38
to a ship starting on a long voyage into the unknown, fuli of adventures and dangers.
The motif of the lighthouse is the chief element of Cat's emblem Monstrat, non ducit (Showing,
not guiding), the imago, oi which is the repctition of the illustration of the emblem Luceat lux
vestra... (fig. 11). It presents a wingcd Cupid who stands at the seashore at night, under a basket
with burning coals susperided high up, that shows the ships the way to port, but does not preclude
danger completely. Cats coiapares the role that a lighthouse plays for the benefit of ships to
the role of love in man's ]ife and the role of the cmotion that helps him to choose the beloved
one. (Cupid says: „A moy la monstre, a toi la rencontre"40). But it does not guaiantce happiness,
as it depends only on the right conduct of those in love. In a painting by an unknown Dutch
painter (Warsaw, National Museum, fig. 12), we see a festively dressed company from a little
town that is shown in the background — three couples walking along the beach. Above them,
on a high mountain, there is a lighted lighthouse and beside is the keeper's cabin. Thus the
light of the lighthouse is intended both for the crew of the ship that crosses the rough sea and
for lovers: it warns the former against the dańger of the sea, and the latter against the fatal
force of unchaste love. In love emblems, the edifyińg tone is particularly powerful. The warning
against the suffering of love and the pain and even death it may bring is present in the texts
that praise its omnipresent power, or even apotheosisise it41. A sea.voyage, that is compared
to tuman life in all the emblems discussed (regardless of the expression of this metaphor: dealing
with morals, politics, religion or love), is inseparable from the ąuestion Quo fata trahunt (Where
fate leads us). It Was posed by Gabriel Kollenhagen who recommended the reader to submit
to fate:
Quidfacias ? ,quo Fata trahunt retrahtmtąue seąuendum est
Ilia etiam ,juvitos vis rapit. Ergo.iseąuor12. * V
The imago of the emblem shows a wrecked boat, the body of which dirfts on the surface of the
Water and is driven to* the shore by the current. The reeds, a symbol of compliance but not
submittancę to fate (cf. Camerarius','emblem Fleetimur nónfrangimur — We bend but we do
not break 43) and the castle, a symbol of courage, heroism and virtue complement the image
and counterbalance the merely bad ąualities assocjated with a drifting boat.
The fish act as the allies of the sailors and fishermen because of their innate instinct that
enables them to choose routes without reefs and deceptive currents and show safe routes to
ships. In the emblem Tutius ad portum (More safely to port) Delphinus... navem ducis in modum
praenata,ns et commiseratione quasi imminentis hominibus periculi adductus, viam illis e scopulis
evadendi, dudu suo demonslransii. This can be illustrated with numerous examples from Dutch
painting, to mentipn just Willem van Diesfs Yachts on the Rough Sea (Amsterdam, antiąuarian
market) and Hendrik van Anthonissen's Rough Sea (Warsaw, National Museum). As was the
case with most of the emblems discussed above, the last quoted one compares a storm at sea
to human life, fuli of turbulence, evil and fear, wickedness and injustice (pita nostra terribilem
fluctuum jactationem, meius et horror, impietatis et injustitiae procellarum plena est)45.
40. J. Cats, Monita Amoris Virginei, sive Officium Pucllarum in caslis Amoribus: Emblemata Expressiim, Ist ed. Middcl-
burg, 1618:
I sliow so that you could meet.
41. J. Pelc, op. cii., p. 162 and f.; M. Praz, Studies in seventeenth-Century Imagsry, Roma, 1964, Chup. III, passim.
42. G. Rollenbagen, Selectorum Emblematum Centuria Secunda, Arnhem, 1613; cf. Henkel, Schóne, op. cit., col. 1480:
What can be done? One must follow the guidance of fate.
This force rapes even the stubborn. Hencc, I go, too.
43. J. Camcrarius, Symbolorum et emblematum ex re herbaria..., Norimbergae, 1590, e. XCV.
44. Oratio lertiap classis recitalu a Vito a Slreilberg in: Emblemata Annwersaria..., op. cit., p. 141:
A dolphin... that has got ahead of the commander's ship and bas taken pity as i f because of the danger that the peopl^
face, his guidance shows which route must bc taken to avoid the rocks.
45. Oratio terliae..., op. cit.
38