Emblems and impact volume II: von zentrum und peripherie der emblematik

The art of the emblem is a pan-European phenomenon which developed in Western and Central Europe in the early modern period.

It adopted meanings and motifs from Antiquity and the Middle Ages as part of a general humanistic impulse.

Technological developments in printing that permitted the combination of letterpress with woodblock, and later copperplate, images, ensured that the emblem spread rapidly by way of printed collections.

With time, emblematic ideas moved beyond Europe, conveying their insights and wisdom in the compact form of the book.

These same books came to influence artists and designers working in the decoration of buildings, furniture, and household items, so that emblems entered personal life; they infiltrated festive culture, too.