Allegory of Flourishing State of the United Provinces by Jan Saenredam

The personification of the Netherlands sits enthroned beneath a tree hung with provincial shields, attended by figures representing the Seven Liberal Arts like Music and Astronomy. To the right, Prince Maurice of Orange leads a hunting party, symbolizing the military security that allows civil arts, agriculture, and global trade to flourish. In the sky, a winged figure of Fame blows a trumpet, while the background illustrates the industrious activities of a prosperous state, including seafaring and farming.

This work reflects the Haarlem Mannerist tradition of using complex classical allegory to bolster national identity and humanistic values. By placing Mercury among the Seven Liberal Arts, Saenredam references the Late Antique tradition of Martianus Capella, where divine intellect and communication serve as the foundation for both scientific inquiry and the prosperity of the state.

Inscriptions(Latin)

EMBLEMA. HODIERNI. RERUM STATUS. IN. BELGICA FOEDERATA. Virgo augusta, vivida, et speciosa; consistens editiori loco, sub arborum umbra, quibus foederatarum Regionum appensa insignia: BELGICAM foederatam denotat, florentem ad huc, Deo beneficio, atq; inconcussam. Circumsidens vero Septem artium Liberalium Corona, quibus octavus, intra arbusta, accedit Mercurius; vigentia Literarum, et Mercaturae studia designat. Subjecta autem, sinistrorsum a te; Planities, Agriculturam interturbatam, operas facientes. Nec creaturam prosperam, Navigationes longinquas, Urbium incrementa, et quae alia sunt huius generis, luculenter exhibet. Bellum vero ipsum, Venatus comparatur; E quo redux nostri avis Nemrod. Nassovius, cum socia Pallade; servatam ingentem, foederata Belgica, per manus Victoriae, offerendam curat. Haec Tabula summa est. AMSTELODAMI. Excudebat Hermannus Alardi. ANNO A CHRISTO NATO CIƆ. IƆ. C. II. Saenredam invet. et sculp.

Translation

EMBLEM
OF THE PRESENT
STATE OF AFFAIRS
IN THE
UNITED
NETHERLANDS.

An august, vivid, and beautiful maiden; standing in an elevated place, under the shade of trees, from which the insignia of the united Provinces are hung: denotes the united Netherlands, still flourishing, by the grace of God, and unshaken.

But the surrounding Crown of the seven Liberal Arts, to which an eighth, Mercury, is added within the shrubbery; designates the thriving studies of Letters and Commerce.

Below, however, to your left; a plain shows undisturbed Agriculture, and those performing their tasks. Nor does it clearly fail to exhibit prosperous creatures, long voyages, the growth of cities, and other things of this kind.

War itself, indeed, is compared to the Hunt; from which our bird-catching Nimrod, Nassau, returning with his companion Pallas; takes care to offer the immense, saved, united Netherlands, through the hands of Victory. This is the sum of the picture.

AMSTERDAM.
Printed by Hermannus Alardi.
IN THE YEAR SINCE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
1602.
Saenredam invenit et sculpsit.

Allegory of Flourishing State of the United Provinces

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