Titelpagina voor: Steven Blankaart [vertaler], Alle de werken van Lucianus den Samosatenser, 1679

This is the title page designed by Romeyn de Hooghe in 1679 for Steven Blankaart’s translation of Lucian of Samosata’s complete works, rendered in ink on paper. The composition is structured by a hierarchy of typography, setting the title "Alle de Werken van Lucianus" in bold, larger fonts, which then decreases in size down the page, creating a visual rhythm. Below the title, a complex, interwoven design element is presented—a floral knot. Its intricate, curvilinear forms contrast with the sharp, rectilinear lines of the text. De Hooghe destabilizes the traditional role of ornamentation in book design by integrating a pattern that's both decorative and conceptually dense. The interplay between text and image invites exploration into how meaning is constructed through visual and linguistic signs. The floral knot might be interpreted as a signifier of nature, knowledge and interconnectedness. The very act of translation, suggested here, can be seen as an interpretation of signs, a weaving together of different cultural and linguistic codes.