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MENTEM, NON FORMAM,
plus pollere.
Intelligence matters, not beauty
Emblema. 187.
Ingressa vulpes in Choragi pergulam,
Fabre expolitum invenit humanum caput,
Sic eleganter fabricatum, ut spirîtus
Solum deesset, caeteris vivesceret [=vivisceret]
.
Id illa cum sumpsisset in manus, ait,
O quale caput est, sed cerebrum non habet.[1]
A fox, entering the store-room of a theatrical producer, found an actor’s mask, skilfully shaped, so finely fashioned that the spirit alone was missing, in all else it seemed alive. Taking it up, the fox addressed it - What a head is this, but it has no brain!
1. See Phaedrus, Fables 1.7 (also in iambic senarii); Aesop, Fables 43.
Related Emblems
Hide related emblems- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Mentem, non formam, plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg: MENTEM NON FORMAM plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: MENTEM NON FORMAM plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: MENTEM NON FORMAM plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Mentem non formam plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Mentem, non formam plus pollere. Le Sens plus requis que Beaulte. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Mentem non formam plus pollere. Le Sens plus requis que Beaulté. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Mentem non formam plus pollere. Verstand giltet mehr dan hupsche. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que mas vale el saber que la hermosura. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Mentem, non formam, plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Mentem, non formam, plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Mentem, non formam plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Lentendement est plus à priser, que la beaulté. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Mentem non formam plus pollere. Das Gemüt ist uber die gestalt. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Mentem, non formam, plus pollere. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che più val lintellecto, che la bellezza. | Open in other pane
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Mentem, non formam plus pollere Le Sens plus requis que Beaulte. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Lentendement est plus à priser: que la beaulté. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Mentem, non formam, plus pollere. Que l'entendement est bien plus à estimer que non pas la beauté. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Le sens plus requis que beaulté. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F23(FOX)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ sitting animal) [25F23(FOX)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- forest, wood [25H15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- village [25I2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards - AA - both arms or hands [31AA2515] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rural housing, e.g. country-house, villa, cottage [41A16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- front façade [41A311] Search | Browse Iconclass
- workbench (+ tools and appliances ~ crafts, industries, agriculture) [47A211:48(+32)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stage costume [48C853] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- actor, actress (non-work situations) [48C8322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4):54B6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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