RedReplicant photostream on Flickr: “God the Father fishing for Leviathan”, 12th Century: Herrad of Landsberg’s Hortus deliciarum: 19th C reproduction drawings. In the Public Domain.

This is a very unusual depiction of God the Father using Christ, who is strung on a line of Old Testament prophets who predicted the messiah, as the hook to ensnare Satan or “Leviathan.” Herrad was a nun and scholar whose book interpreted the history of the world. It is more than likely that she illustrated the book in addition to authoring it.

Wikimedia Commons: “Destruction of Leviathan”, 1865 engraving by Gustave Doré.

Learn more about the frontispiece on wikipedia.

Here’s another way to interpret this illustration:

The incorporation of the father on the part of the sons corresponds to the incorporation of the sons of the part of which, upon the death of the father, substitutes for him. What else does the celebrated image of the Leviathan represent, composed as it is of many small human forms wedged in together one against the other in the shape of a scale of impenetrable armor, if not the inclusion again of the murderous sons on the part of the “second” father in one’s own body? (Communitas. The Origin and Destiny of Community by Roberto Esposito, trans. by Thimothy Campbell, Standford: Stanford University Press, [1998]2010, p. 40)

“Sir Lionel Arthur Lindsay (17 October 1874 – 22 May 1961) was an Australian artist.” (wikipedia)

Reminded me of Andoar, the famous goat in Michel Tournier’s novel Vendredi ou les limbes du Pacifique.

Can’t find the exact reference for this vintage phrenology panel.

Read more about s11ver photostream on her profile.

Kintzertorium explains : “► The two inseparable brothers were born on March 20, 1617; thier parents were Baptista and Pellegrina Colloredo, living in the parish of Saint Bartholomeus de Costa in Genua. Both twins were baptized at the font: the larger one was named Lazarus and his brother, Joannes Baptista. Their parents were healthy and had previously several healthy children. According to the report, while Lazarus’s body was healthy in every respect, Joannes Baptista had a malformed body and did not open his eyes. Lazarus was the only one to suckle his mother and to emit excrement and urine. when his brother got some droplets of milk on his lips, his lips moved as if he tried to swallow them. Lazarus & Joannes Baptista’s mother had died in 1620. The conjured twins died in the year 1621, aged 4. ► Engraving made by Andreas Frisius, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1665, for Liceti’s book: De monstris. Ex recensione Gerardi Blasii, m.d. & p.p. Qui monstra quaedam nova & rariora ex recentiorum scriptis addidit. Editio novissima iconibus illustrata. ► Fortunio Liceti (1577-1657) graduated from the University of Bologna in 1600 with a double doctorate in philosophy and medicine. He accepted a chair in logic and physics at the University of Pisa where he developed a reputation as an expert on Aristotle. Liceti is best remembered for his controversial works on genetic anomalies, hieroglyphics and astronomical debates.In this work, Liceti celebrates “monstrosity” by depicting persons with genetic anomalies as creatures of rarity and reverence and not as examples of God’s divine wrath. One of the earliest classifications of deformities, Liceti’s work was still under review in works on malformation in the 19th century. Includes both real and imaginary cases.”

1st edition (1634) on sale on Abebooks (4279.20 EUR) and on Bibliopoly ($5,850.00), among others.

About Kintzertorium’s (Assaf Kintzer): “Although I’m a Philosophy, Theology, Aesthetics & Musicology scholar, I have a deep interest in the world of visual arts. My main interest lies within europien early prints, from Medieval to 19th century.” (Read more)

“The military engineer Agostino Ramelli produced a remarkable illustrated book in 1588 describing a large number of machines that he devised. Called Le diverse et artificiose machine del Capitano Agostino Ramelli (The various and ingenious machines of Captain Agostino Ramelli), this work had a great impact in the field of mechanical engineering. The book contains 195 superb engravings of various machines along with detailed descriptions of each one in both French and Italian.” Read more. Ramelli’s book is still in print and can be acquired via Amazon (Dover Publications, September 1994) or Abebooks (original edition, signed by the author), among others.

“Bookplate of (and created by) Samuel Hollyer (1896) “S Hollyer His Booke” depicts a library setting with a man at a desk reading a book while burning a hole through his chapeau. In the bottom right corner is a book titled “Hogarth.” Signed at bottom right “S.Hollyer Eng.”“

“The Pratt Institute Libraries have a collection of more than 1200 Ex Libris (bookplate) images in their flickr stream.”

Gallica: “Cynocephali effigies” in Ulyssis Aldrovandi, Monstrorum historia, 1642, p. 370. Engraving by Jean-Baptiste Coriolan.