Titelpagina voor Ulisse et Circé, in Le Théâtre Italien de Gherardi, Parijs 1700. 1694 - 1700

This is Franz Ertinger’s title page for Ulisse et Circé, made around 1700 in Paris. Using etching, Ertinger creates a scene framed by an archway, filled with a landscape of both classical and fantastical elements. The composition is neatly divided: to the left, a ship sails on a calm sea towards rocky cliffs. To the right, classical architecture hints at formality and enclosure. The foreground teems with figures, both human and animal, with Circe at the center holding her wand. The animals, likely men transformed by Circe, introduce a surreal element. The scene's structure uses a sophisticated interplay of depth and perspective. It asks us to reflect on themes of transformation, illusion, and the blurring boundaries between the natural and the artificial. It presents a world where the stability of identity is constantly questioned.