'Illustrissimi Wirtembergici Ducalis Novi Collegis quod Tubingae quam Situm quam Studia quam Exercitia Accurata Delinateo' - (something vaguely approximating: An accurate depiction of the illustrious Duke of Württemberg's new college of study exercises at Tübingen)
This album of thirteen engravings of university life in Germany was designed by Johann Christoph Neyffer and the plates were produced by Ludwig Ditzinger somewhere between 1589 and 1600. All the sparse references to this work do describe them as engravings but they appear more like ink/wash drawings to my eye. Of particular note is the second image above showing an early depiction of (real) tennis.
The trouble with the modern education system is that there is far too little attention paid to jousting and quarterstaff combat.
- All of the prints from Neyffer's book are displayed above, sourced from the Bavarian State Library.
- History of Tennis.
- Larsdatter links to images of Medieval and Renaissance ball games.
- The British Library has a copy of the tennis engraving.
- The University of Tübingen (founded in 1477 - Wikipedia).
- Update: Another version of this work (the actual engravings, if, as I suspect, the above images are drawings) is now available from the University of Heidelberg.
6 comments :
"The trouble with the modern education system is that there is far too little attention paid to jousting and quarterstaff combat."
That was the part that reminded me most of my undergraduate days, but then I spent all my time over at Performing Arts. (When not roaming the woods late at night like a brigand.) Others, of course, will find the tennis game more emblematic of their college days.
Well I'm a bit miffed they obviously edited out the beer chugging and barfing pavilion.
Hey, I forgot about that part. All that alcohol has pickled my brain. Yes, a fine colorul pavilion, with banners and so forth, a few kegs, and some sort of trough for the puke disposal. Every school has one.
Regrettably, there isn't enough swordplay on college campuses today. It would simplify the pass/fail system so much.
"As you lay there bleeding on our field Mr Heinz, I suggest you ponder your approach to class. It's all well and good knowing your 12-times table and the formula for the area of a circle, but what use is any of this, I ask you, if you can't parry away a broadsword thrust to the spleen, eh? I'm afraid you've blown your chance for entry into the advanced geometry class next semester."
by the point of view that the artist used, i supose that he was one of the excluded folks out there.
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