1994.10.334
Europe, from The Four Continents
Artists
Claes Jansz. Visscher (Piscator)
(1587 – 1652);
[
after
Cornelis van Dalen the Younger]
Title
Europe, from The Four Continents
Creation Date
ca. 1950
Century
mid 16th-early 17th century
Dimensions
8 7/8 in. x 6 9/16 in. (22.5 cm. x 16.7 cm.)
Object Type
print
Creation Place
Europe, Netherlands
Medium and Support
engraving on paper
Credit Line
Gift of David P. Becker, Class of 1970
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1994.10.334
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Europeans often depicted the four continents as female allegories. Here, the allegorical figures are in various states of despair, mourning the death of Portuguese prince Theodosius III (d. 1653). Broken weaponry and armor connect the scenes, suggesting the continuous battles for military power among these groups and competing empires. These personifications also reveal European sentiments about each continent. Cloaked in fine silk and a turban, Asia rides an elephant. Europe, astride a bull, wears an ornate helmet and shield with a spear in hand, signaling the military power and control held by the continent.
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