Titelpagina voor: Las Memorias de Felipe de Comines senor de Argenton (...) tomo primero, Amberes [Antwerpen]: Henrico y Cornelio Verdussen, 1713 1713

This title page for ‘Las Memorias de Felipe de Comines’ was printed in 1713 in Antwerp, using engraving. Visually, the page is dominated by an architectural framework, complete with fluted columns, a curved pediment, and heraldic crests at the base. The rigid structure is softened by a ribbon spiraling around the columns that features text, creating a tension between form and content. The composition is dense, filling nearly all the available space. The architectural elements can be read as a statement of stability and order, yet the elaborate decorations disrupt any sense of classical purity. Semiotically, the use of Latin inscriptions and heraldic symbols encodes power, nobility and a reverence for history. This interplay between structure and embellishment functions to elevate the status of the text it frames. Notice how the anonymous artist has interwoven textual and visual elements. This interplay reminds us that meaning is constructed through a complex negotiation of form and context. The artwork's historical significance lies not just in its content, but in how its design conveys authority and cultural value.