The use of emblems was popular during the Baroque time period in Italy and Europe in general, serving as a guide and source of inspiration for artists, poets, and sculptors when they were looking to creatively represent virtues, ideas, or even animals.⁠ ⁠ Cesare Ripa’s Noua Iconologia, printed in 1618, takes an encyclopedia-like format, alphabetically categorizing his emblems in multiple sections. With each emblem description, Ripa also includes allegorical interpretations and references famous philosophers and writers of the time, whose interpretations of a particular object or virtue influenced his depiction of it.⁠ ⁠ For example, Ripa writes that the woman that symbolizes Chastity in his emblem dresses in white to represent “the purity of the spirit, which maintains this virtue” and we see an association of colors with the value of chastity, but even more importantly, there is a suggestion that chastity leads to strength and truthfulness of character, as though someone who isn’t chaste is deceitful.⁠ ⁠ This post is derived from a blog entry by Diana Alvarado '22.⁠ ⁠ #emblembooks #theresnowayimtaggingchastityorlust #dartmouthcollege #dartmouth #dartmouthlibrary #raunerlibrary #rauner #specialcollections #specialcollectionsofinstagram #librariesofinstagram #rarebooks #rarebooksofinstagram #collegelibrary #libraries #librariesoftheworld