{"product_id":"original-16th-century-virgil-solis-woodcut-the-creation-of-mankind","title":"Original 16th-Century Virgil Solis Woodcut — The Creation of Mankind","description":"\u003cp\u003ePrometheus \u0026amp; the Creation of Man | Ovid’s Metamorphoses | Germany, 16th Century\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn original 16th-century Renaissance woodcut illustrating one of the foundational episodes of classical mythology: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe creation of mankind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e at the beginning of Ovid’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBefore Ovid begins his famous collection of transformations, he describes the creation and ordering of the world itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe stars fill the heavens.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFish inhabit the waters.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWild animals populate the earth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBirds fill the air.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut creation remains incomplete.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomething is missing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA creature possessing greater intelligence—one capable of ruling over the other animals—has yet to appear.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen Ovid announces:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Natus homo est.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Man was created.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrometheus Creates Mankind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOvid presents more than one possible explanation for humanity’s creation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerhaps mankind was formed from divine seed by the creator of the universe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOr perhaps the newly created earth still contained something of the heavenly substance from which it had recently been separated.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOvid then introduces the mythological tradition associated with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrometheus, the son of Iapetus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrometheus mixes earth with water and fashions humanity \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ein the likeness of the gods\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is one particularly beautiful distinction between mankind and the animals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile the other creatures naturally look downward toward the earth, mankind is created upright.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuman beings are given faces capable of looking toward heaven and are commanded to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eraise their gaze toward the stars\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe present Renaissance woodcut illustrates humanity within this newly created world, providing a remarkable visual interpretation of the opening passages of Ovid’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal 16th-Century Ovid Text\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubstantial original Latin letterpress survives on the reverse and corresponds approximately to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOvid, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Book I, lines 72–86\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe surviving passage contains some of the most important lines in Ovid’s creation account:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeerat adhuc…”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA more sacred creature, capable of higher thought, was still lacking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Natus homo est…”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Man was created.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe passage continues with Prometheus—the offspring of Iapetus—mixing earth with water and fashioning humanity in the image of the gods.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe physical fragment therefore preserves both a Renaissance illustration of early humanity and the original Latin text of Ovid’s ancient account of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecreation of man\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDetails\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist\/Design:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Virgil Solis (1514–1562)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubject:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Creation of Mankind \/ Prometheus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWork:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Ovid, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Book I\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVisible Latin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Approximately lines 72–86\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDesign first published:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Frankfurt, 1563\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 16th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Germany\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedium:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original woodcut on laid paper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReverse:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Original Latin letterpress\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApprox. image size:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 6.3 × 8.2 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe woodcut survives with a strong and attractive impression and extensive fine detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fragment has been trimmed from its original book leaf.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubstantial original Latin letterpress survives on the reverse. Several passages have been historically underlined or marked in red ink, providing evidence of an early reader’s interaction with the text.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reverse also retains remnants of an old mounting, including a reddish strip of mounting paper across the upper portion and smaller pieces of previous mounting material.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe historical mounting material has intentionally been left undisturbed to avoid risking damage to the approximately 450-year-old paper.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease examine all photographs carefully, particularly the reverse, as they form an important part of the condition description.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Divine Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63199055478865,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/0059\/0673\/files\/01D6B164-330E-4F81-8E15-A2FEB4466EFD.jpg?v=1793036117","url":"https:\/\/thedivinelibrarystore.com\/products\/original-16th-century-virgil-solis-woodcut-the-creation-of-mankind","provider":"The Divine Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}