Abstract

This entry deals with an album of prints published by Johann Georg Hertel in Augsburg
between 1758 – 60, which can be also considered an emblem book. In the context of 18th
century Germany this type of production was labeled Sinnbild-Kunst (this book contains
Sinnbilder und Gedanken, or symbols and thoughts, as the first page of the books proclaims).
This album of prints follows the oldest and most famous example of an emblem
book, Iconologia of Cesare Ripa, which was republished many times with the allegories
(both textual and pictorial) in alphabetical order. Hertels work groups these allegories in
its own specific order. The author of this paper analyses the possibility of a meta-narative,
implicit in the fifth chapter, while comparing it to older editions of Iconologia, thus providing
a contribution to answering the question which edition of Iconologia (or books that
follow it) could have served as a model for this book.

Keywords: allegory, emblem, personification, print, rococo