Moral Emblems: Roman Antiquities

Engraving, part of a set of 20 moral emblems, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. The set was designed by Jean Delaune and engraved by his father, Étienne Delaune, in 1580. It explores the theme of vanity in mundane things, denouncing the artifices of the world (beauty, pleasure, luxury...), and praising virtue. This print represents two couples of men walking among Ancient Roman ruins, among which can be distinguished a Trajan column, a Laocoon, and the Wolf of Rome. The male philosopher present in most scenes of this series, in this case, has acquired the form of a statue with a broken arm, and is represented sitting on the lower left side, reclining on a column with thin, undulating branches with leaves, possibly representing the Nile river. The subject of this print, once again, is a reproach against vanity, suggesting that even the greatest of empires can be defeated by time, as can most works of art.