Alphabet Gallery

Grammar: a young woman standing in a decorated interior holding an open book in her lef

Grammar: a young woman standing in a decorated interior holding an open book in her left hand and pointing to the alphabet inscribed on its pages with her right hand, from the series The liberal arts (Les arts liberaux), 1633-35. Arithmetic: a young woman standing

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17th Century, Alphabet, Arts, B And, B And W, B W, Baroque, Baroque Era, Black And White, Book, Bw, Century, Concept, Country, Education, Engraving, Female, France, French, Gilles, Gilles Rousselet, Goire Huret, Gr And Xe9, Grammar, Gregoire, Grégoire Huret, Heritage Art, Historic, Huret, Huret Gregoire, Indoors, Inside, Interior, Learning, Liberal Arts, Literature, Location, Mariette, Mariette Pierre, Metropolitan Muse, Museum, One Person, People, Pierre, Pierre Mariette, Portrait, Room, Rousselet, Rousselet Gilles, Standing, The Met, White, Woman

Celtic illuminated manuscripts, (1898). Creator: Unknown

Celtic illuminated manuscripts, (1898). The lettering at top left is from the Lindisfarne Gospels, probably produced c715-720 AD in the monastery at Lindisfarne, Northumberland, and now in the British Library, London. Figs 1-5: 7th century. Figs 6 and 7: 8th century. Figs 9-11: 10th century. Fig 12: 11th century...For Celtic interlacing work, either filling up the spare surfaces of the letters or bordering the separate pages, the limbs or bodies of snakes, birds, dogs and fantastical animals were employed...Occasionally the human figure occurs, whereas the vegetable ornament is wholly wanting. Its introduction first dates from the 9th century, and after weak commencements (compare Fig. 8) it spreads more and more, next the ribbon ornament, under the influence of the Romanesque style'. Plate 30 from "The Historic Styles of Ornament" translated from the German of H. Dolmetsch. [B.T. Batford, London, 1898]

© The Print Collector/Heritage Images

cylinder seal depicting the naked hero, Gilgamesh wrestling with a lion

cylinder seal depicting the naked hero, "Gilgamesh" wrestling with a lion. In the centre a triple plant possibly a representation of the tree of life. The inscription names the son of Abilum, a scribe. Country of Origin: Mesopotamia. Culture: Akkadian Period: 2340-2180 BC Material: Agate. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive/ British Museum, London

© Werner Forman Archive / Heritage-Images