EM BUSCA DA LINGUAGEM UNIVERSAL

Os Livros de Emblemas dos Séculos XVI e XVII

Abstract

In the 16th and 17th centuries, books of emblems were a genre of publication with considerable circulation in the Old Continent. Written, published, re-edited and translated in the major publishing centers, the emblem books had pedagogical and recreational uses, in addition to serving as manuals for craftsmen and artists. This article approaches the main characteristics of these works, their context of production, the sources of inspiration mobilized by their authors, and the academic discussions around emblems. Special attention is given to the books considered to be the founders of the genre, the Emblematum Liber (1531) by Andrea Alciati and the Iconologia (1593) by Cesare Ripa. Thus, the potential of studies based on emblem books is explored throughout the text for a better understanding of images produced in the Renaissance.