Représentation emblématique
1600
Karel van Mander, who founded the Haarlem Academy and wrote the definitive biography of Northern artists, created this visual puzzle around 1600 that feels like a 17th-century emoji string. Against a deep, dark void, a vertical tower of symbols rises: the staff of Mercury hovers over a sword, while a winged arm clutching a shovel anchors the bottom. A peacock and a goat stand guard on the sides, all connected by swirling golden vines typical of the Mannerist style, which favored elegance and complexity over realism. Every object here is a clue in an allegorical game, likely representing concepts like justice, labor, or the elements, inviting the viewer to decode its secret meaning.
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