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PORTFOLIOS |
EL CRITICON
Portfolio 56 x 42 cm
Twelfe etchings , copper 34,5 x 34,5 cm on handmade paper, 43,5 x 41 cm
with an introduction by Peter Proksch
to the novel of
BALTHASAR GRACIAN
First Book
The spring of childhood and summer of youth
| 1. |
The beautyful nature .......................... |
Crisi |
3 |
| 2. |
Entry to the world ............................... |
Crisi |
5 |
| 3. |
The fountain of delusion .................... |
Crisi |
7 |
| 4. |
The magics of Falsirenia .................. |
Crisi |
12 |
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Second Book
The autumn of manhood
| 5. |
The thousendeyed reform ................. |
Crisi |
1 |
| 6. |
The court of the mob .......................... |
Crisi |
5 |
| 7. |
The enchanted Virtelia ...................... |
Crisi |
10 |
| 8. |
The thron of domination .................... |
Crisi |
12 |
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Third Book
The winter of old age
| 9. |
The cave of nothingness .................... |
Crisi |
8 |
| 10. |
The wheel of time ............................. |
Crisi |
10 |
| 11. |
Lifes mother in law .............................. |
Crisi |
11 |
| 12. |
The island of immortality .................... |
Crisi |
12 |
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El Criticon
is a philosophic satirical work. Analogous you should translate the titel with "the critical cleverness of the world". The scenes, the characters and the story of the novel are allegorical. Andrenio and Critilo, the main characters of the novel, are not natural figures, they are types. Andrenio (the human) personifies the instinctive being, following his emotions, Critilo (the critical) the critical reason,the insight and renunciation.
In order to understand the present twelf prints it is necessary to give you a short summary of the novel.
Critilo as a shipwrecked ends up on the isle of St. Helena, where he finds Andrenio, who was raised there by beasts and who had never seen a man before. Critilo teaches him to speak und gets to know about his fate.
Grown up in the cave of the beasts he is a prisoner, because, not as agile as they, he can not reach to the exit. When the cave collapses by a tremor, he reaches the open and, for the first time, he sees the beautyful nature. Now Andrenio is anxious to know the world. A ship is taking them along and during the trip Critilo tells his fate. He lost his fortune and his beloved Felisinda in India and is now searching for them. As soon as they reach land, they leave the ship and enter the world. In a ravine they meet crowds of children, leaded of a woman ,who cares for them. But out of caves, the beasts of vice are comming, to seize the babies and those who took the most care, get hold simpliest. The virtue appears to save them, but only a few gets hold of her protection. They go further on now on their refined way. Andrenio to become acquainted with the world, Critilo in search of Felisinda. They reach the fountain of delusion the destination for many trampers through life and the town, fairground of lying and hypocrisy. Andrenio gets to know the court and gets into the house of Falsirenia, which bewitches men like Circe and robs their possesions as well as their mind. Critilo rescues Andrenio of her whichcraft and they continue their way. The spring of childhood und the summer of youth are over, the autumn of manhood beginns. Passing the multieyed guard at this pass of life, which all enter as youth and some leave as men,they come to the main place of the world, crowde with people, but without personality. Also Fortuna is reigning here and the mob is her devoted subject.
Onerous was the way to the palace of Virtelia and many of the trampers came to grieve. Overcoming a lot of troubles they reach the palace, but the open gate is guarded by the giants of arrogance. Bending themselve, Critilo and Andrenio can pass by and reach the inside of the palace, which is much greater and magnificent than the modest outside. Virtelia tells them to continue their way of virtue, where they will find Felisinda. Now they come to the thron of dominance and they see a lot of people endeavour to climb the steep slope, to get to the heigth of power. Both trampers, going further uphill, are coming now to those hights , where the winter of old age beginns.
Walking down again they find a cave at the foot of the hill, which holds a whole world. In this cave everybody becomes, what he accomplished, that is nothing. Everything that is unsuitable and useless vanishes into it. Searching for Felisinda both come to Rome, the metropolis of the world. From the highest of the seven hills they catch sight of the wheel of time, eternal go by and constant return. Tired by the long journey they stop off at the inn of life. But in the subterranean rooms of this house, lifes mother in law and her accomplices are ruling . Here is the last break for all the lifetrampers. Critilo und Andrenio also gets to know this cellar of death, but they find the way out to eternity. Passing the temple of work, who is situated before the temple of glory, they reach the shore of the sea, where the island of immortality is found. An immortal takes them on his boat to the isle, they climb the last stairsteps and are standing in front of the gate of eternity. The value in person is an inexorable gatekeeper, but the gates to immortality open wide.
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