SCARABEI VMBRA

HOEFNAGEL, Jacob (Antwerp, 1573 - Hamburg, c. 1632), after Joris Hoefnagel.

SCARABEI VMBRA.

Hand-coloured engraving, 1592.

150x210 mm.

Lettered within image in upper middle: "SCARABEI VMBRA." and in lower middle "Rosam quae praeterierit / ne quaeras iterum" numbered in lower left corner: ".1." and in the lower right corner ".2."

Bibliography:

Hollstein 31

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Additional information

Illustration to "Archetypa studiaque patris…" (Frankfurt: n. p., [15]92), parts 1-4 in 1 vol.

An arrangement of insects, arachnids, fruit and flowers, with a stag beetle at top centre, a sprig of rosemary at bottom left, a catterpillar at top right, and a small or juvenile flying fish at bottom centre.

The Latin inscription is a Desiderius Erasmus quote from his Adages:

Adagium 1540

Rosam, quae praeterierit, ne quaeras iterum.

Ῥόδον παρελθὸν μηκέτι ζήτει πάλιν, id est

Ne quaere rursum praeteritam semel rosam.

Ne te maceres desiderio rerum, quae revocari restituique non queunt, velut exactae juventae, formae, virium, fortunae. Nam ut nihil est rosa gratius, ita nihil minus diuturnum. In eundem sensum dixit in Odis Horatius:

Mitte sectari, rosa quo locorum

Sera moretur.

Habent enim rosae suum tempus, sed perbreve. At exquisitius delicati etiam alieno tempore rosam quaerunt. Unde quadrabit et in eos, qui jam ἔξωροι voluptates sectantur, velut si nucibus ludat vir aut amet potitetve senex.

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