Physics (Phisique)

Engraving, part of a series of twelve oval prints with allegorical representations of Minerva, Wisdom, the sciences and liberal arts. Most of them are represented by female figures (the exception being Physics, represented by Apollo), surrounded by pastoral landscapes, some of them with small towns with medieval buildings in the background. In the representations of liberal arts, Delaune depicts more detailed landscapes with fragments of classical architecture. This print contains an allegory of Physics, represented by Apollo with all his attributes, the only male figure in the set. He appears standing, his head, crowned by a wreath of laurel leaves and a halo, on three quarter view towards the left, and his hands holding a lira. On the left is a broken column, a viola and a lute, on the ground; to the right, several books are stacked on the floor.