Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Atalanta Fugiens

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Genre
  
Multimedia

Originally published
  
1617

Publisher
  
Johann Theodor de Bry

Subject
  
Alchemy

Publication date
  
1617

Author
  
Michael Maier

Illustrator
  
Matthäus Merian

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Original title
  
Atalanta Fugiens, hoc est, Emblemata Nova de Secretis Naturae Chymica, Accommodata partim oculis et intellectui, figuris cupro incisis, adjectisquesententiis, Epigrammatis et notis, partim auribus & recreationi animi plus minus 50 Fugis Musicalibus trium Vocum, quarum duae ad unam simplicem melodiam distichis canendis peraptam, correspondeant, non absq; singulari jucunditate videnda, legenda, meditanda, intelligenda, dijudicanda, canenda et audienda.

Similar
  
Michael Maier books, Other books

Atalanta fugiens


Atalanta Fugiens or Atalanta Fleeing is an emblem book by Michael Maier (1568–1622), published by Johann Theodor de Bry in Oppenheim in 1617 (2nd edition 1618). It consists of 50 discourses with illustrations by Matthias Merian, each of which is accompanied by an epigrammatic verse, prose and a musical fugue. It may therefore be considered an early example of multimedia.

Contents

Michael maier atalanta fugiens fuga xliv fairy consort


Title page

The title page depicts various scenes from Greek mythology related to golden apples:

  • Top: Garden of the Hesperides.
  • Left: Hercules stretching out his arm to seize one of the golden apples.
  • Right: Aphrodite handing the golden apples to Hippomenes.
  • Bottom: Race between Atalanta and Hippomenes, with Atalanta picking up an apple. Behind them is a temple with lovers embracing each other, while in the background they appear as a lion and lioness.

    • Preface

    The preface contains a dissertation upon ancient music and narrates the Greek myth of Atalanta and Hippomenes.

    Discourses

    Each of the 50 discourses contains:

  • A detailed copper-plated engraving by Matthias Merian.
  • An epigram in verse set to music in the form of a fugue for three voices - Atalanta, or the vox fugiens; Hippomenes, or the vox sequens, and Pomum objectum (Apple) or vox morans. "Atalanta fugiens" is a play on the word "fugue"
  • An epigram in German.
  • A Latin verse with an accompanying discourse.

    • References

    Atalanta Fugiens Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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