Alphabeth de la Bourbonnoise LCCN2007685768-restored
Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress
1789
- Classification
- Photograph
- Museum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Credit line
- Library of Congress Catalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2007685768 Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/ppmsca/15800/15895u.tif Original url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2007685768/
- Rights
- Public domain, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Adult profiles and older: its museum's description or title mentions nudity. How works are placed
About this work
Antique engraving depicting an anthropomorphic alphabet, titled "ALPHABETH DE LA BOURBONNOISE."
Human figures: Each letter of the alphabet is formed by the pose of one or more nude human figures (primarily male and female in various positions). This type of design is historically known as a figurative or anthropomorphic alphabet.
The alphabet depicted: The engraving follows an early variant of the Latin alphabet. Note how it moves directly from I to K, and from T to V, X, Y, and Z (omitting letters of later use or shared at the time, such as J and U, which is typical of engravings from the 17th to 19th centuries).
Ornamental details: Some letters include garlands of flowers to complete the shape of the characters, as is clearly seen in the letters D, O, P, Q, and R.
Abstract/medium: 1 print : engraving and etching ; 24.6 x 21.3 cm (sheet)
