Titelpagina voor de Europische Mercurius van 1717 1717

This is the title page for the Europische Mercurius of 1717, etched by an anonymous artist in Amsterdam. The dominant figure here is the seated woman, a classical allegory of Europe, crowned and surrounded by symbols of prosperity and power: the cornucopia, the ox head, and the alert unicorn. The image, like the Roman deity Mercury, evokes a dialogue between commerce and culture that transcends mere economics, a figure seen across time and space. Consider its presence in Renaissance paintings, where Mercury appears as a divine messenger, or even in modern corporate logos, stripped of overt mythology, yet still suggesting swiftness and communication. The image speaks to the cyclical nature of cultural symbols, how they resurface and are re-invested with new meanings across time, mirroring our collective subconscious, influencing our perceptions and desires.