These photographs show Jan Sadeler’s engravings of The Seven Liberal Arts, based on designs by Maarten de Vos. According to Susan Dackerman’s catalog for Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe, even though the iconography of the series stems from medieval and Renaissance traditions, it also marks an evolution in the visual treatment of the topic. Each print bears a two-line inscription in Latin describing its art. Learn more about this Harvard Art Museums exhibit in Jennifer Carling and Jonathan Shaw’s article “Spheres of Knowledge,” from the November-December 2011 issue.
Jan Sadeler’s engravings of The Seven Liberal Arts
Jan Sadeler’s engravings of The Seven Liberal Arts
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Rhetoric, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Image courtesy of Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Arithmetic, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Geometry, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Dialectic, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Astronomy, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Music, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Jan Sadeler I, after Maarten de Vos, Grammar, from the series The Seven Liberal Arts, after 1575. Engraving | Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources, Harvard Art Museums, © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College
You might also like
On Open to Debate, the Harvard economist defended free market competition—with meaningful government involvement.
Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion
The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.
Most popular
Explore More From Current Issue
Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.
Former Indiana University president Thomas Ehrlich looks back on curriculum, co-education, and other major trends.
The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.