New Inventions of Modern Times [Nova Reperta], Title Plate
Jan Collaert I Netherlandish
After Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus Netherlandish
Published by Philips Galle Netherlandish
Not on view
Title plate from a print series entitled Nova Reperta (New Inventions of Modern Times) consisting of a title page and 19 plates, engraved by Jan Collaert I, after Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, and published by Philips Galle. The title is printed at the top of the plate just above an image of a printing press. There are 2 medallions also at the top: the medallion at left depicts the Americas, and the medallion at right represents a compass. On the left a woman represents the future and points to the map and on the right a man represents the past and walks out of the picture plane. At the bottom of the scene nine other inventions or discoveries of the post-classical age are depicted: the silk worm, the stirrup, the clock, the canon, distillation tools and guaiacum, each corresponding with a print in the series. Each object is assigned with a roman numeral that corresponds to a description inscribed at the very bottom of the plate.