De zeven vrije kunsten

The personification of Rhetoric is depicted in a laurel-wreathed cap and jewelry, leaning over an open book while a bearded older man presents a small caduceus. The scene utilizes the swelling line work and muscular anatomy characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist style. This print is the fourth in a series dedicated to the Seven Liberal Arts.

As part of the Trivium, Rhetoric was a foundational pillar of Renaissance education and the Hermetic pursuit of divine eloquence. The engraver, Cornelis Drebbel, is a pivotal figure in the history of science and Western esotericism, later serving as a court inventor for Rudolf II in Prague.