Sine Cerere et Baccho Friget Venus, titlepage to Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst," probably the first edition of title, frontispiece and eleven plates
After David Vinckboons Netherlandish
Pieter Serwouters Netherlandish
Not on view
Although David Vinckboons made only three etchings himself his designs were the basis for more prints than any other Netherlandish artist in the early seventeen century. Among those were a set of book illustrations for Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst." The prints are by Pieter Serwouters, who also made more than two dozen independent prints after Vinckboons. The multi-volume work was a translation and adaptation of "Ars Amorata" (The Art of Love) by the first century Roman poet Ovid. Some of the illustrations depict scenes from classical mythology while others appear to be generic examples of romantic situations or events.
The Latin phrase is ascribed to the Roman comedian Terence. Ceres was the goddess of grain, Bacchus the god of the grape, and Venus the goddess of love, so the saying means that without bread and wine, love cannot flourish.
