Hortus deliciarum facsimile 1818 Tab.12 extrait

This engraving presents sixty individual nuns identified by name, arranged in tiers to represent the spiritual community of Hohenburg. On the right, the larger figure of Abbess Herrad holds an open scroll containing a Latin poem encouraging her sisters to despise earthly dust and seek divine contemplation. The base of the image features a lush green landscape labeled 'Mons hohenburc,' symbolizing the physical and spiritual elevation of the abbey.

This is a key plate from the 'Hortus deliciarum' (Garden of Delights), the first encyclopedia composed by a woman, Herrad of Landsberg. It reflects the medieval tradition of 'theoria' (contemplation) and the organization of sacred and profane knowledge that would later influence Western esoteric and pansophic systems.