Book Title: Andreae Alciati emblematvm libellvs.

Author: Alciati, Andrea, 1492-1550

Image Title: The Picture of Ocnus, or about Those Who Give to Whores What Should Be Turned to Better Uses

Description: The pictura of this emblem by the Italian jurist and writer Andrea Alciato (1492 – 1550 CE) features the allegorical deity Ocnus, who personifies hesitation, frustration, delay, and the wasting of time, thus symbolizing the vicissitudes of human life consumed in unsuccessful efforts. He assists one who attempts to weave a rope with esparto grasses, only to have a female donkey consume it, she representing for Alciato the female character’s supposed indolence and tendency to squander the earnings of her husband’s hard work.

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