4 Cornelis Cort (1533–1578) after Frans Floris I (1519/1520–1570) - Dialectica - Dialectic

”Dialectica sits on a chair in a room with stone walls and argues with an old man.”

Dialectic, a woman seated on a wicker chair engages in conversation with an elderly philosopher; she rests her feet on a stack of tomes labelled "ARISTOTELES" etc; a bird sits on her head, an eel is wrapped around her arm and a frog sits on an upright tome

The rare allegorical engraving by Cornelis Cort (1533–1578) after Frans Floris I (1519/1520–1570), published by Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp, 1565. This edition published by Johannes Galle 1650 approx.

”Dialectic” is the part of the Seven Liberal Arts which are intricate depictions of female figures personifying each discipline, conveying the Renaissance ideals of education and intellectual pursuit. Through symbolic imagery and careful composition, Floris captures the essence of Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy, reflecting the era's reverence for learning and the arts.

Artist of Maker

Cornelis Cort

Medium

Engraving

Date

1650