Doek met titel vastgehouden door Mercurius, Minerva en twee engelen, onder fries met negen muzen spelend op muziekinstrumenten 1643

This engraving was made in 1643 by Cornelis van Dalen I, to function as the title page for a Dutch-French dictionary. The page is propped up by classical figures, the Roman god Mercury on the left, and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, on the right. A canvas displaying the book's title is held aloft by two cherubic angels. The juxtaposition of linguistic scholarship with figures representing commerce, wisdom, and divine intervention reflects the period's investment in both trade and humanist knowledge. Below, a frieze depicts the nine muses, each playing different musical instruments, representing the harmony of knowledge and the arts. The figures blend cultural aspirations with historical ideals, suggesting the dictionary is a gateway to a broader understanding of the world. It’s a representation of the era’s ambition to reconcile classical learning with contemporary life, inviting a reflection on how we continue to bridge the past with our present understandings.