The article presents the results of research into the vanitas iconography in both the emblems of The Album of the Ljubljana Noble Society of St Dismas (Theatrum Memoriae Nobilis ac Almae Societatis Unitorum, Arhiv Republike Slovenije, AS 1073, Zbirka rokopisov, I/1) and their preparatory sketches by Janez Gregor Dolničar, the first secretary and the spiritus agens of the Ljubljana Noble Society of St Dismas, or the Academia Unitorum as it was called in Latin. The original sketches are preserved in Dolničar’s Concept Book, kept in the Ljubljana Seminary Library (Semeniška knjižnica v Ljubljani, rkp. 6). The analysis of the preparatory sketches and the final form of the emblems in the miniatures of Theatrum memoriae focuses on the implementation of the vanitas motifs, which rarely appear in their classical form. However, when they do, they are always accompanied by the symbol of the heart (the emblem of Academia Unitorum), which provides new layers of allegorical meaning. More often still, the heart is used as the key figure of the vanitas emblems. The decision is not arbitrary, because Dolničar carefully interweaves the established iconography of the heart as a symbol of both vitality and transience of human life with the heart as the emblem of Academia Unitorum, which in this function primarily symbolizes Concordia – concord, unanimity and intellectual friendship of academicians. Dolničar’s preparatory sketches reveal his profound knowledge of early modern emblematics, and it is possible to identify the most important emblem books which he had used as source of inspiration. However, the most important characteristic of Dolničar’s emblems is their “personalization”. The first secretary, who also provided short curricula vitae of members for the Theatrum memoriae, incorporates allusions to the academicians’ life and work, their virtues, merits, and so on, in the iconography of each individual emblem. By fusing the traditional iconographic elements of the heart as a symbol of human transience with the iconography of the heart as the emblem of concord and personally based iconographic elements, he creates original emblems that make the Ljubljana Album a unique academic emblem book. Special attention is also paid to the transformation of Dolničar’s preparatory sketches into the final form of painted emblems in The Album of St Dismas’ Society, because it is obvious that the emblems in the album are not only enriched in their visual complexity provided by skilled miniaturists using the technique of gouache with occasional touch of gold. Quite often, the iconography is also remarkably elaborated and refined. There is no doubt that iconographical changes are usually the result of the commissioning academician’s requests; however, the research shows that the painters like Andreas Trost, who were well versed in the art of emblems, actively participated in this process or even initiated it.
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