Otto van Veen (556-1629), who is usually mentioned with this latinized name Vaenus or Vaenius, occup¬ies one of the central positions in the history of emblematic literature. He does so not only as an important artist (among other things as Rubens's teacher), but also because his work 'Amorum emblemata' marks a turning point in the history of emblematics, the development into the direction of a pictorial representati¬on of the metaphor: emblematics become imagery.
'Amorum emblemata' contains 124 engravings, which were sketched by the author and each of which shows either one single or two figures. At least one of the figures is Cupid, which suggests an erotic metaphor. The Latin quotations are numerous and are taken above all from David, Seneca, Plutarch and Cicero.
Antwerpen 1608.