The material
presented here is intended for students with an advanced knowledge of
Dutch. It is an introduction to the seventeenth-century Dutch poet
Roemer Visscher and his emblematic masterpiece Sinnepoppen,
first published in 1614, in which texts and images are combined. Five
emblems will be discussed in detail, including an analysis of the moralistic
intentions behind the emblems and, when appropriate, references to similar
literary works and to contemporary Dutch paintings. To each of the emblems,
a transcription of the original text in modern spelling and a translation
are added.
In addition
a biography of Roemer Visscher, an introduction to the emblematic genre
and the importance of Sinnepoppen, and a list of suggestions
for further reading are included. By clicking on underlined words or
phrases in the text, an explanation will appear in a separate window,
often phrased as a question. Answering these questions will help you
to analyse the emblems. The answers are also provided in the study pack.
Try to answer the questions before looking at the transcriptions
and translations.
The
navigation bar on the left side of the screen enables you to go directly
to the various sections, but you can also work your way through by following
the links on the subpages, starting with the >biography
of Roemer Visscher.