7/30/2019 Freund - Good Council (1938)

1/4

'Good Counsel': An Adaptation from Ripa

Author(s): Lothar FreundSource: Journal of the Warburg Institute, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jul., 1938), pp. 81-82Published by: The Warburg InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/750036 .

Accessed: 06/04/2011 02:30

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless

you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you

may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at .http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=warburg. .

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed

page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of

content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms

of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

The Warburg Institute is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toJournal of the

Warburg Institute.

http://www jstor org

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=warburghttp://www.jstor.org/stable/750036?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=warburghttp://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=warburghttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/stable/750036?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=warburg

7/30/2019 Freund - Good Council (1938)

2/4

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 8Itry to intercede for him. The third picturetransfers the moral lesson from the dying ordead to the living. It shows a group offaithful believers listening to the sermon ofa preacher who, not unlike John the Baptist,stands on a rock above them. But alas!in the right corner there is a sinner who hasturned his back to the preacher and walksaway.The Greek inscriptionunder the death-bedscene makes it possible to identify the originalpiece which these moralising drawings aresupposed to reproduce. It is the fragmentof a marble relief in Paros' (P1. I6a), whichrepresents an assembly of pagan deities-among them Kybele, Atys, Pan, Acheloos,Silenus and Nymphs-who are humbly ap-proached by a crowd of worshippers repre-sented as small figures in the right corner.It is easy to recognise and distinguish in thisrelief the three parts which have served asmodels for the three drawings.2 The wor-shippers on the right correspond to theChristians listening to the sermon. Eventhe sinner who looks away has his prototypein the pagan group. The saint deliveringthe sermon imitates the deity furthest to theright, who standsjust above the worshippers.The assembly of gods that follows on the lefthas suggested-mirabile dictu-the death-bedscene; while the group on the top correspondsalmost literally to the upper drawing : Panplaying the syrinx has become the gesti-culating devil that sits on the right, the devilwith the long horns takes the place of thefigure with the horned head named Acheloosby modern archaeologists;and the crouchingSilenus has been transformedinto the appre-hensive sinner himself.

It is not sufficient to explain this idiomatictranslationmerely as one of the homely semi-Gothic distortionsof ancient models, in whichthe pictures of this codex abound (compareplate I6b with plate I6e3). The designerwas evidently inspired to make these altera-tions by the Greek text which Schedelingeniouslymistranslated. In the inscriptionAAAMAZ OAPYZHE NYMPAIL, whichsignifies "Adamas the Odrysian (dedicatesthis) to the Nymphs", he mistookOAPY2HE for a participle of the verbOAYPOMAI (to mourn or bemoan) andinterpreted the dative NYMIAI2 as a sortof Latin ablative, so that the inscription tookon the meaning of "Adamas mourned by theNymphs": a theme which could appropriatelybe clothed in the paraphernalia of the Arsmoriendi.

ALICE WOLF

1 See Reinach, Rdpert. des reliefs grecs et romains,1909-12, II, p. 360. The figures were identified byL6wy, "Antike Skulpturen auf Paros," Archdol.-epi-graphische Mitteilungen aus Oesterreich-Ungarn,1887,pp. 167 ff.2 Schedel did not know the original monument,but only the drawing made after it by Cyriacus ofAncona, whose travel diary was copied by Schedelin Italy and reproduced on pp. 29 r-54 v of Codexlat. mon. 716. Cf. O. Jahn, "Intorno alcune notiziearcheologiche conservateci da Ciriaco di Ancona,"Bullettinodell'Instituto i corrispondenzarcheologica, 861,p. 18o ff. Further De Rossi, "Dell' opus de antiqui-tatibus di Hartmanno Schedel Norimbergese," inNuove memoriedell'Istilutodi correspondenzarcheologica,1865, p. 501 ff. Cyriacus of Ancona interpreted therelief as representing Hercules with nymphs and fauns(cf. Jahn, op. cit., p. 189). The figure of Herculesis destroyed in the original relief, but was evidentlyseen by Cyriacus, for it is reproduced on p. 45 rof Codex lat. mon. 716.

' The original relief is reproduced and discussedin Collezionedi tutte e antichitaccihe i conservanoel MuseoNaniano di Venezia,Venice 1815.

'GOOD COUNSEL':AN ADAPTATION FROM RIPAThe subjectofthe Italian picturepublishedhere for the first time4 (P1. I7a) is theallegory of 'Good Counsel' after CesareRipa's Iconologia.5 The special interest ofthe painting is due to the transformationstowhich the painter submitted his literarysource. Ripa describes this allegory as anold man invested with all sortsof attributes :among others he holds an owl, the birdof Minerva, and a book, since good counselis born from the study of wisdom, and fromnocturnal meditations. His left foot restson a bear and a dolphin, which indicatethat good counsel is only possible if 'Anger'(the bear) and 'Haste' (the dolphin) areovercome. In his left hand Good Counselis supposed to hold the signum triceps,theheads of a wolf, a lion and a dog attachedto the same neck. This hellenistic symbol

* From a private collection in Paris. Probably bya Bolognese, r ratherprovincial,master of the secondquarter of the 17th century under Caravaggiesqueinfluence. Canvas,91 x 75 cm. The unintelligibleinscription on the upper edge seems to be by a laterhand (DANIELLEH UMGE DAUIDE).5The influencebfRipa (Ist ed. 1593)on baroquepaintingand sculpturerecentlydiscussedby E. Male,L'Art religieux aprksle Concilede Trente. Paris 1932,P. 383 if.

7/30/2019 Freund - Good Council (1938)

3/4

82 MISCELLANEOUS NOTESof Time, known to Ripa through the inter-pretation of Macrobius, signifies that "Con-siglio" is gained by the contemplation ofpast, present and future things.' The laststrange symbol of Ripa's description, theheart on a chain round the neck of the oldman, indicates that 'Good Counsel' springsalways from the heart.All these symbols are literally illustratedin the woodcut accompanying Ripa's text(P1. I7b). A comparison with our picturereveals how largely the artist has freedhimself from the tyranny of an erudite,intentionally intricate and secret languageof symbolsin which elements of late antiquityand scholasticism are fused. He leaves outmost of the enigmatic and confusing acces-sories of Ripa's figure, reducing them totwo expressive details: the book and thethree-headed figure, with the meaning ofwhich educated people of the I7th centurywere certainly acquainted. He transformsthe symbol of the heart in a very personalmanner, by showing a boy who listens to'Good Counsel' coming from the heart ofthe old man.2This configuration seems to have beensuggested by a motive of Christian icono-graphy, the youthful apostle John leaningon Christ's breast. It alludes to the idealrelation between the master and the disciplewho abandons himself entirely to the teach-ings of supreme wisdom.It is characteristic that the painter drewhis inspiration from those passages of Ripawhich allowed a realistic approach, and atthe same time found a way of alluding tothe Christian code. Although he almostcompletely neglected Ripa's learned andesoteric suggestions, his intention remaineddidactic and moralising. This is indicatedby the peculiar self-consciousnesswith whichthe two figures act their scene and addressthe spectator in order to tell him that theystand for a moral idea which should appealto everybody's attention.LOTHAR FREUND

1 The story of this symbol and its special functionas an attribute in Ripa fully developed in Panofsky,Herkules am Scheidewege. 1930, p. 29 ff.2 There are also passages in Ripa which suggestthe introduction of the young man: "i giovani sidevono rimettere al Consiglio de vecchi," "L'etAgiovenile e proportionata ad obbedire, e I'etA senileal comandare," etc.

'GRAMMATICA' :FROM MARTIANUS CAPELLATO HOGARTHThe Catalogueof Picturesexhibited inSpring Gardens in 1761 was rapidlysold out. The reason for this successwas thetopical appeal of its frontispieceand tailpiecedesigned by Hogarth3 (P1. I8e, f). Thefrontispiece expresses hope in the patronageof the young king, GeorgeIII, who had ascen-ded the throne in the previous year. Thismeaning is made evident by a quotation fromJuvenal on a reprint of the engraving : "Etspes et ratio studiorumin Caesare tantum." 4The imagery of Hogarth's design is some-what far fetched. The engraving shows afountain, with a heraldic lion's head and abust of the king, built into the rock. A streamof water flows from it into a watering-canwith which Britannia waters three green treeslabelled "painting," "sculpture," "architec-ture." By a witty contrast the tailpieceshews three dead stumps of trees in flower-pots being uselessly watered by a monkey,who watches the successof his activity througha magnifying-glass. The labels "obit 1502,obit 16oo, obit 1604" illustrate the vainendeavour of this ape to revive what hasbeen dead for hundreds of years. This is asatire on the folly of the connoisseurs whoturn towards the "exoticks"of"those old anddamaged pictureswhich are veneratedmerelyfor their antiquity." 5 Again in the reprinta passage from Martial elucidates the idea :"Esse quid hoc dicam vivis quod famanegatur?"

Paradoxical as it may sound, Hogarth gotthe inspiration for his engravings exactlyfrom that ancient art which he himself con-demned as dead. His design belongs to apictorial tradition which can be traced backto an engravingby Marc Antonio (P1. 17c).63John Ireland, A Supplemento Hogarth Illustrated,I804, III, pp. 93-97-4 All the reprints enumerated in: E. Hawkins,Catalogueof Prints and Drawings in the British Museum,IV, 1883, no. 3808, 3809.5 Cf. John Ireland, op. cit., where a more detailedanalysis of the prints can be found. In the same year1761 Hogarth challenged the connoisseurs by paintinghis Sigismunda,or which the engraving 'Time blacken-ing a picture' served as a subscription ticket. Cf.J. B. Nichols, Anecdotes f W. Hogarth, 1872, p. 299.6 Bartsch, Peintre-Graveur IV, p. 292, no. 383.Giovan Antonio da Brescia copied Marc Antonio'sengraving. (B. XIII, p. 329, no. 21.) Cf. alsoPordenone's fresco in the cloister of S. Stefano,Venice (before 1532). Phot. Alinari 38757.

7/30/2019 Freund - Good Council (1938)

4/4

17

b-'Consiglio.' Ripa, Iconologia,1613 (p. 82)-'Good Counsel.' Italian, I7th century. PrivateColl.(p. 8i): :-_ : ::_-:::_:: : ii.:.:.:, iiiiiii-:; i:iiii-?-i:-?iiiiiiiii-~::i:: ::i :-:_i:li-i~:i::-i

: : ::`: : ii--?-i-iiiii---::: :::

i~l-ii... -:- -ii- --i-_I :: lli :: ii:-:--::-i":i ::i -: :TI ~::: i:

:::::i: i-i-i-i

::i : -:i-l :iii-i

-: ii:; :_:::iiii_i_-ii I : ::-: :: : --i: --i:i-ii : :: :: :- :-:: : __:-ii:i_::.::..

I-.~ -:--:-:_:__:_i~-__--:::::i-iir:i-i-i- ii-- : ::-: : ,:iii-i_ - : i:-: . I--i I_1.. :i:kii:i--:iii:i::: :: :.l--i..iiii-iii_i. .:.. i -;:iili--iiiii-iiiiiiii

iii-iiiiiiiiiiiii::: -:--iiii_ ~-i-ii:-i:_:::i-:::--:i::--:--:: -::::-:-:-:-:i:~:-::::::----i-:-: i:i:--:::----_:-:::--:-:::-:::-:-::::--i-i" ::i-i:ii:iii---iiiiiiiiiiiil:::-_iii - iiii;--ili:i_:--ii-ii:i:i:i:ii::.:i:i-iir-::::l-:li-:---~ '-~--------:-ii,::--:i--:i-i::iii:ii -ii-iiii-iii--iiiiiii-iii:i-li:i--i:---i- .::. : iii:?iiiii- ii:iiii-iiiiiii iiiiiiiii::i:I-:-'i'i'ii'i'i'i'i'iiiiiiiii-i--,i_. i- lii:i__-i:::_:i--:_-':-_-:i:::--ii-_--ii::::.i . -1 . -.-. -- -:~ : ~i:i i:i--iiiiii:-lii-i-:'::_-::-_::iii--i;i-iiii:_--:i:-::::----::i-.... i:i-.:i-i-i-iiiiiii:i-iiil-:ii?-:i-iii-iiiii-i:iiii:ii::i-i'i :I----ili-ii:i_;:-::':---:-i_i- ~:li_..ii:liiii:iii:i:iiiiii: -_:l::iiiiil?iiiiiiii-iiiiii:i-i:-iiiii_- i:-:ii:i_.i-i-:--I::ii:i-i:i-:-_i:i:iI-i::_-i:i-ii-i--i:-- I:i-!__:i-!--lil :-::-:-:::-:-:::-:-:----:-:::::-::::::::::-::----:::i::::-ii--:ii~~~_~~~~~l~.~ii:ii~ii-~.i~_-:_:-_ii-i--i:i-. -i:ii-i-----:i-ii-i~:i~iT~-i'-i iiiiiiii,:i-i:ii:i-i-iii:ii:iiiiiiiiiii---:i-::::i-i~~~iia3~_~L-~:li:~:i~_---i- : :: : : -:

c-Marc Antonio, 'Grammar.' Engra-ving (p. 82) d--'Grammar'.Italian engraving( Tarocchi)(p. 83)