Iconologia

The Biblioteca Virtuale On-Line, BIVIO, for short, collects and presents to us a number of Renaissance texts including no fewer than three editions of Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia: the first, unillustrated edition of 1593 being supplemented by the second and third (expanded and illustrated) Italian editions of 1603 and 1611 respectively. Below are a few of the images from the 1611 edition, beginning with, firstly and secondly, the personifications of Europe and America:

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Next up: thirdly, the representation of knowledge (sapienza), and fourthly, that of vanity:

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Followed by, fifthly and sixthly - lechery, (libidine), and virginity:

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And, penultimately and lastly - constancy and caprice:

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Besides the editions mentioned above, there are at least another two complete on-line Iconologies: the first English edition of 1709, and a later Italian edition, dating from 1764-7. The illustrations in these later editions became ever more elaborate and refined, as, meanwhile, the text and its range of examples was expanded and revised: a tendency culminating in the lovely Hertel edition of 1758-60, readily available, fortunately, as a Dover paperback.