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Septem Liberales Artes

Engraving
1645 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is the titlepage to Septem Liberales Artes, a series of etchings by Francis Cleyn showing the liberal arts as female figures. The seven liberal arts were defined in late antiquity, and became the traditional curriculum of secular learning in the Middle Ages. They were divided into two groups: the trivium (grammar, logic or dialectics and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music). Representing the liberal arts as young women with their identifying attributes complements the conventional description of them by the grammarian Martianus Capellus, made as early as the fifth century.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSeptem Liberales Artes (series title)
Materials and techniques
Etching on paper
Brief description
Francis Cleyn. Titlepage to a suite of 7 plates showing the seven liberal arts entitled 'Septem Liberales Artes'. London, England, 1645.
Physical description
Print, title page for Septem Liberales Artes
Dimensions
  • Cut to height: 12.5cm
  • Cut to width: 10.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
Lettered in the centre of the plate within a cartouche: 'SEPTEM / LIBERALES / ARTES. / Quam sit uterque libens. / censebo exerceat artem. / Hor/ lis . i. Epist 14. / F. Clein fecit. / 1645 / Sould by Tho: Hinde at the black Bull in Cornhill'
Gallery label
EIGHT PRINTS: THE SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS
English, 1645
Etchings by Francis Clein (1582-1658), published in London

The seven liberal arts were defined in late antiquity, and became the traditional curriculum of secular learning in the middle ages. They were divided into two goups: the trivium (Grammar, Logic or Dialectics and Rhetoric) and quadrivium (Geometry, Arithmetic, Astronomy and Music). This representation of them as young women and their idenitfying attributes matches the conventional description made as early as the fifth century by the grammarian Martianus Capellus.

E. 1273-80 - 1936 (Given by Mr. Arthur Lewis)[sic, Laws]
Credit line
Given by Mr Arthur Laws
Object history
The seven liberal arts were defined in late antiquity, and became the traditional curriculum of secular learning in the Middle Ages. They were divided into two groups: the trivium (Grammar, Logic or Dialetics and Rhetoric) and the quadrivium (Geometry, Arithmetic, Astronomy and Music). This representation of them as young women and their identifying attributes matches the conventional description made as early as the fifth century by the grammarian Martianus Capellus.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is the titlepage to Septem Liberales Artes, a series of etchings by Francis Cleyn showing the liberal arts as female figures. The seven liberal arts were defined in late antiquity, and became the traditional curriculum of secular learning in the Middle Ages. They were divided into two groups: the trivium (grammar, logic or dialectics and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music). Representing the liberal arts as young women with their identifying attributes complements the conventional description of them by the grammarian Martianus Capellus, made as early as the fifth century.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1936, London: Board of Education, 1937.
  • D. Guilmard, Les Maîtres Ornemanistes, Paris, 1880-81, p.398, no. 43
Collection
Accession number
E.1273-1936

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Record createdJuly 18, 2005
Record URL
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