The image of the heart in the religious emblems of the 17th century

Abstract

The author analyzes the features of the image of the heart in the European religious emblems of the 17th century. The author examines several books of emblems, starting with the publication of Daniel Kramer, who had a definite influence on other authors. This article deals with his “Emblemata Sacra”, or “Emblemata ex Sacra Scriptura”, published in 1624 (the first edition of the Kramer emblems was released in 1617). After that, the author refers to the books of emblems of Johann Mannich (“Sacra Emblemata”, 1624), Francesco Pona (“Cardiomorphoseos, sive, Ex corde desumpta emblemata sacra”, 1645), as well as the treatise of Benedict Haeften (Schola cordis, sive Aversi a deo cordis, ad eumdem reductio et instructio, 1629). This article focuses on the reflection of the theme of the heart in the Russian religious culture of the same time. The comparison is carried out primarily on the example of the Book of Ioanniky Galyatovsky “The Key of Perception” (“Klyuch razumeniya”), first published in Kiev in 1659.