Album amicorum of Juw van Harinxma
Cover of the album amicorum by Juw van Harinxma
The friendship book of Juw van Harinxma from the collection alba amicorum of the Van Harinxma family in Sloten is particularly richly illustrated. It was made in 1625-1634.
Juw van Harinxma
Of the three Van Harinxma brothers, Juw is the least tangible. While the careers of Homme and Pieter can be traced from surviving sources, even the year of Juw's death is unknown. Yet, as his album shows, he too had a solid university education.
During their studies, the brothers regularly submitted their album to the same writers (inscriptors), which makes it possible to compare the contributions. Did the placement of a contribution happen on automatic pilot, or did they have something different on offer for each of the three brothers? The established nobility (who usually didn't put much effort into an inscription) remains the same, but the professors and students usually come up with something different every time.
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Pan tries to conquer a wood nymph, but she turns into a reed from which he will then carve the famous syrinx (the Pan flute).
A lot of illustrations
Caesar visits the tomb of Alexander the Great
Special mention should be made of the large number of illustrations in Juw's album. The gouaches are mainly derived from classical mythology. They were almost certainly painted by local Frisian artists after printed examples. Although not all sources have been found, the engravers Virgil Solis, Aegidius Sadeler II and Antonio Tempesta can be mentioned as examples. It is also striking that no connection is made between the illustration and the written contribution. So they are not pictures with a chat.
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The depiction of Pallas Athena caught in a net by List and Deception is the only one in the Van Harinxma alba where the meaning of the representation is explained in a marginal inscription.
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After being turned into a stag as punishment, Actaeon is torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs.
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De theoloog Maccovius behoort tot de spaarzame inscriptors die in de alba van de drie broertjes hetzelfde Latijnse citaat gebruikte: 'Het overwinnen van moeilijkheden is in zichzelf al eer genoeg'
The theologian Maccovius is one of the few inscriptors who used the same Latin quotation in the alba of the three brothers: 'Overcoming difficulties is in itself honor enough'
Description of the album
Album amicorum of Juw van Harinxma. 44 descriptions. Dating of the binding: 1625-1631. Request number: 79 J 47
