Aer

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Uncoloured

Condition: Good

Confirmed: 3/10/2024

Date Acquired: 19/2/2021

Description: Since antiquity, European doctrine held that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Artists frequently depicted these elements allegorically, personifying them through figures typically accompanied by symbolic attributes and sometimes narrative scenes.nAdriaen Collaerts engravings portray semi-naked personifications of the elements, each adorned with relevant symbols and positioned within landscapes that enrich the thematic content. Each figure is set within an oval frame, surrounded by putti in the spandrels that echo the central figure. The compositions are complemented by inscriptions penned by Cornelis Kiliaan, a corrector at Christopher Plantins renowned publishing house in Antwerp and a distinguished lexicographer.nIn the background of each engraving, a corresponding biblical narrative unfolds. The series balances two male and two female figures, with one of each gender associated with an Old Testament story and the other with a New Testament account, suggesting a deliberate integration of these universal systems in a symmetrical structure.nIn this engraving, epresenting Aer (Air), the figure, though close to the earth, is seated on clouds, his hair blending upward into more clouds. In his right hand, he holds a chameleon, a creature believed to subsist solely on air. Birds fill the sky above the mountainous landscape on the left. In the background on the right, the Resurrection of Christ is depicted. While Scripture offers no detailed description of the event itself, tradition often portrays Christ rising into the air above his tomb, with soldiers below reacting in astonishment and fear.nKiliaans Latin inscription reflects both the nurturing and volatile nature of air:n"Mobilis, & rerum per cuncta meabilis AËR, / Afflatu alituum promovet omne genus: / Commotus nimbos tempestatesque minatur, / Tranquillus terris aequoirbusq[ue] favet."n("Mobile Air, passable through all things, by its nourishing breath causes every species to thrive: Aroused, it brings forth rainstorms and tempests; tranquil, it favors lands and seas.")nSee also #438 by Jean LeClerc

Engraver: Collaert, Adriaen (1560-1618)

First published: Separate Publication

Image Size (cm): 21.4×17

Mapmaker: Collaert, Adriaen (1560-1618)

Price: 1,100

Primary Category: Prints & Related Material

Purchase Reference: Ledger 2022

References: The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700. (Collaert Dynasty, Ann Diels and Marjolein Leesberg, authors). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, : no. 1285, State i/ii, no. 1284, State i/iii

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: after 1587

Website: Click here