Category Archives: Engravings

The Great Chain of Being

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Engravings

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Robert Fludd-the great chain of beingRobert Fludd. Urtriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, physica atque technica historia, in duo volumnia secundum cosmi differntiam diuisa. Vol. 1. Enlarged version. Frankfurt: J. T. Bry, 1624. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (157)

In this engraving, English physician and mystical philosopher Robert Fludd (1574-1637) portrays his idea of creation’s plan. God reaches out from a radiant cloud to hold the chain that binds Nature, the soul of the world. Nature holds a chain attached to the physical world, represented by a monkey. Humans, plants, animals, the arts, the four elements, and the planets all have their assigned place in what was known in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as “the Great Chain of Being.” The outermost rings represent Paradise. Fludd was a prolific writer, and many of his works on alchemy, occult medicine, philosophy, and various scientific theories, such as this two-volume encyclopedic work, survive.

Library of Congress (www.loc.gov)

NEBULA INSPIRES SIGNS

03 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in Art, Engravings, Illustrations, MY OWN ARTWORKS

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NEBULA INSPIRES SIGNS - MELENCOLIA - DURER

Nebula Inspires Signs – Melencolia

A melancholic state of inspiration. Digital art study after Melencolia by Albrecht Durer.

St. Jerome in His Study

Nebula Inspires Signs – Study

A learning state of inspiration. Digital art study after Saint Jerome in His Study by Albrecht Durer.

NEBULA INSPIRES SIGNS is the second stage of the project mentioned in the previous post (INSPIRING ANGELS). I always liked Durer`s engravings and I always questioned the magic source of inspiration for his works. Now, puzzled in my own search for the source of inspiration, I imagined the story behind these classical engravings …

I posted the illustrations recently on FineArtAmerica (www.fineartameric.com) and really hope you will like them 🙂

My profile and works on FineArtAmerica: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/daniel-reiiel.html

 

Constellations Mandala

25 Thursday Sep 2014

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sonjo-o mandala

The Sonjo-o Mandala. Used in rituals to secure the health and longevity of the emperor. The above drawing depicts Sonjo-o (aka Myoken) with four arms, standing atop a dragon. Various stars and constellations appear in three concentric circles around the deity, who is holding the sun disk (with three-legged black crow inside), moon disk (with hare and frog inside), a trident (Gekihoko), and a staff (Shakujo) with metal rings. SOURCE: Besson Zakki, a Buddhist text compiled by Shingon monk Shinkaku (1116-1180) and translated as Miscellaneous Record of Classified Sacred (www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml)