The Latin Descriptions of the University of Oxford Complex of the Late XVII Century based on David Loggan’s Engravings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37222/2524-0315-2025-17(33)-18Keywords:
David Loggan, “Oxonia illustratа”, an engraving, the Latin language, the University of Oxford.Abstract
The article is devoted to the little-known publication “Oxonia illustrata” (1675) – a copper-engraved itinerary of all important locations of the University of Oxford, of the appearance of this educational institution’s various workers and scholars, and additionally the city map. The master’s biography, as well as the reasons and conditions for the creation of the book are described. D. Loggan’s artistic education and knowledge of the Dutch art school are revealed to play a major role in him being appointed as the project executor. The illustrated guide’s mission was the international promotion of Oxford in general and its university in particular. The result was a graphic work of exceptional artistic skill and cultural significance, which displayed the Oxford architecture at the end of the 17th c. and historical information about the city and university sights.
The Latin texts of the engravings are analyzed, in particular their dictionary, composed in Neo-Latin with the model of Classical and “admixtures” of Medieval Latin, and typographic features. The book’s three documents and one engraving translation is provided by the author of this article, and lexical and factual-historical errors made by Loggan in the writing are identified and explained. Typographic features are generally represented by the ligatures of diphthongs and consonant letter combinations, the “&” logogram and the “ꝫ” siglum. The engravings’ linguistic component review demonstrated once again the translator’s requirement to verify and take into account the socio-political aspects of a particular nation or state.
“Oxonia illustrata” manifests itself as the grand matter of historical, cultural, and ethnolinguistic content. The article proves the publication’s aesthetic and scientific importance, as is and the potential of its thorough consideration as a basis for the philological and art-historical research.
References
Carter, H. (1975). A History of the Oxford University Press. Vol. 1 : To the year 1780 with an appendix listing the titles of books printed there 1590–1780. Oxford : Clarendon Press. 640 p. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/ historyofoxfordu0000cart/mode/2up [in Eng.].
David Loggan. The British Museum. Retrieved from: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG36077 [in Eng.].
Falconer, M. (1931). Oxford Books: a Bibliography of Printed Works Relating to the University and City of Oxford or Printed or Published There with Annals and Appendixes. Vol. 3 : Oxford literature 1651–1680. Oxford : Clarendon Press. 621 p. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/b31360142_ 0003/page/n5/mode/2up [in Eng.].
Hawkins, J. David Loggan’s Oxonia Illustrata: questions and misconceptions concerning the first book that marketed Oxford. Retrieved from: https:// www.academia.edu/7717925/David_Loggans_Oxonia_Illustrata [in Eng.].
Hawkins, J. (2018). Images of Oxford, 1191–1759 [PhD thesis]. Oxford : St Edmund Hall. 494 p. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/ 36926625/JWH_DPhil_Thesis_Images_of_Oxford_1191_1759 [in Eng.].
Hotson, H. (2017, February). David Loggan (1634–1692). Cabinet. Retrieved from: https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/david-loggan-1634-1692-0 [in Eng.].
Kołaczkowski, J. (1874). Słownik rytowników polskich tudzież obcych w Polsce zamieszkałych lub czasowo w niej przebywających, od najdawniejszych do najnowszych czasów jako przyczynek do historji sztuk pięknych w Polsce [Dictionary of Polish and foreign engravers residing in Poland or temporarily staying there, from the oldest to the latest times as a contribution to the history of fine arts in Poland]. Lwów : Z drukarni Towarzystwa imienia Szewczenki pod zarządem F. Sarnickiego. 78 p. Retrieved from: https://dbc.wroc.pl/dlibra/publication/9695/edition/8764/content [in Pol.].
Loggan, D. (1675). Oxonia Illustrata, sive, Omnium Celeberrimae istius Universitatis Collegiorum, Aularum, Bibliothecae Bodleianae, Scholarum Publicarum, Theatri Sheldoniani: nec non Urbis Totius Scenographia [Illustrated Oxford, or the Scenography of all the Colleges, Halls of this most celebrated University, the Bodleian Library, the Public Schools, the Sheldonian Theatre; and also one of the whole City]. Oxoniae : E Theatro Sheldoniano. 85 р. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125008536811/page/n1/mode/ 2up [in Lat.].
Peacay (2014, September 8). Oxonia Illustrata. BibliOdyssey. Retrieved from: https://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2014/09/oxonia-illustrata.html [in Eng.].
Rastawiecki, E. (1857). Słownik malarzów polskich tudzież obcych w Polsce osiadłych lub czasowo w niej przebywających. T. III [Dictionary of Polish and foreign painters settled in Poland or temporarily staying there. Vol. III]. Warszawa : Nakładem autora, W drukarni S. Orgelbranda Księgarza i Typografa. 536 p. Retrieved from: https://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.eu/dlibra/publication/16035/ edition/12541 [in Pol.].
Thieme, U. & Becker, F. (1929). Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Band XXIII [General Encyclopedia of Fine Artists from Antiquity to the Present. Volume XXIII]. Leitenstorfer- Mander. Leipzig : Verlag von E. A. Seemann. 600 S. [in Ger.].
Walpole, H. (1826). Anecdotes of painting in England: with some account of the principal artists. Vol. 3. London : Bickers and Son. 354 p. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/anecdotesofpaint03walp_0/mode/2up [in Eng.].
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Софія Челов’ян
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
