Wisdom and Time placing the royal throne on the globe (La Sagesse et le Temps plaçant le trône royal sur le globe terrestre)
Etienne Delaune French
Not on view
Etching, part of a series of nine round prints with emblematic subjects of the glory of Henry II, all with dark backgrounds made up of thin, horizontal lines, and with a white exergue on the bottom, likely destined for inscriptions. In this etching, Wisdom is personified by Minerva, on the left, with her attributes: a shield, a helmet and a spear, placing the throne, which is flanked by a half moon, on the globe. To the left is Time, or Saturn, with wings and goat feet, holding a scythe on one hand and a second crescent moon, above the first one, on the other. Above the throne and crescent moons is a laurel wreath, as if crowning the composition. The allegory in this etching might be understood as the union of Minerva and Saturn to make the reign of Henry II a durable and wise one.
