
Ars naturam adiuvans.
Art assisting nature
LXXVII [=78] .
Ut Fortuna pilae,[1] cubo sic insidet Hermes:
Artibus hic, variis casibus illa praeest.
Adversus vim Fortunae est ars facta:[2] sed artis
Cùm Fortuna mala est, saepe requirit opem.
Disce bonas artes igitur studiosa iuventus,
Quae certae secum commoda sortis habent.
As Fortune rests on a sphere, so Hermes sits on a cube. He presides over the arts, she over the varied chances of life. Art was developed to counteract the effect of Fortune, but when Fortune is bad it often needs the assistance of Art. Therefore, studious youths, learn good arts, which bring with them the benefits of an outcome not subject to chance.
Related Emblems

- Emblematum libellus (1546), Venice: Ars naturam adiuvans.
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que el arte ayuda à naturaleza.
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Art aydant à Nature.
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Ars Naturam adiuvans.
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Ars Naturam adiuvans.
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che larte aiuta la Natura.
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Art aidant à nature.
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Ars naturam adiuvans. Kunst hilfft der Natur.
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Ars naturam adiuvans. L'art preste aide à Nature.
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Ars naturam adiuvans.
- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: ARS NATURAM ADIUVAT.
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Les arts aident à nature.
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Ars naturam adiuvans.
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
Relating to the text:
- 'Natura' (allegorical figure or scene; or as Diana of Ephesus, with many breasts); 'Natura' (Ripa) [20] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hexahedron, cube [49D452] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Luck, Fortune, Lot; 'Fato', 'Fortuna', 'Fortuna aurea', 'Fortuna buona', 'Fortuna pacifica overo clemente', 'Sorte' (Ripa) (+ abstract concept represented by female figure) [54F12(+11)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Luck, Fortune, Lot; 'Fato', 'Fortuna', 'Fortuna aurea', 'Fortuna buona', 'Fortuna pacifica overo clemente', 'Sorte' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54F12(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- specific aspects, allegorical aspects of Mercury; Mercury as patron [92B57] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sphere, globe ~ stereometry [49D48] Search | Browse Iconclass
- student [49B44] Search | Browse Iconclass
- symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ art; 'Arte' (Ripa) [480] Search | Browse Iconclass
- symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ education; 'Ammaestramento', Dottrina', 'Educatione', 'Istitutione' (Ripa) [49A0:31D12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ science, 'Scientia'; 'Scienza', 'Studio' (Ripa) [49C0] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the liberal arts, 'Artes Liberales' [49C1] Search | Browse Iconclass
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