COMS 361 - Lecture 2, Part 4 Transcript

Emblematic Books

Propaganda Images and Messages: Emblematic Books

Literary history offers yet another fact for understanding propaganda. In this podcast, we will listen to Dr. David Graham, who talks about emblematic books; that is, books thst were used mainly in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

  • Consisted largely of fables of the time, featuring woodcuts illustrating stories

  • Illustrations were specific to the story (e.g., they would make no sense if used elsewhere)

  • Woodcut illustrations from emblematic books could be used several times over to illustrate essays on different topics

Dr. Graham suggests that these illustrations, since they were applicable to different contents and themes, could be seen as precursors to the interchangeability of images in advertising, the internet, and propaganda.

  • Emblematic books helped readers make sense of the world

  • Tell readers how they should/must act in certain situations

    • This function, along with the interchangeable nature of their illustrations, provide the reader with much of the same benefits as propaganda today

  • Modern propaganda uses images which can be interpreted in different ways depending on the intended message, and the combination off message and image can also direct us towards subsequent action

Podcast: Dr. David Graham

Emblem books (renaissance 16th-17th century books) are mixed media books that present typically a small woodcut with textual fragments:

  • A title

  • A short verse

  • An explanatory poem

  • Aim to convey a general moral lesson to the reader

  • Picture typically shows the climactic moment

Fable book and emblem books have several differences:

  • Fable books are narrative, whereas emblem books are not

  • Fable books consist of linear, straightforward story-telling, and emblem books have non-linear storytelling

    • Emblem books don’t have a linear narrative, where we assemble fragments to develop a coherent meaning

    • Picture shows the climactic moment, akin to advertising to grab the reader’s attention

What do Emblem Books have to do with our Current Understanding of Propaganda?

Emblem books and advertising are similar in that there is a high degree of cross-referencing going on in the reader’s mind to assemble a coherent message, moving from fragment to fragment trying to determine the meaning.

There’s an emblem called “La cruauté d’amour” by French writer Gilles Corrozet.

  • Shows a naked man with flames coming out of his armpits, ankles & genitals. Beside him is a woman, adorned in a long dress, holding what seems to be an olive branch

  • When you assemble the image and the text, you realize the flames are flames of passion, and the man is being literally consumed by his flames of passion for the woman.

  • We learn that she isn’t offering to soothe his passion, but rather to beat him with the stick to drive away the flames of passion that are consuming him

Summary of Points:

  • Emblematic Books: These were primarily used in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries and consisted of fables illustrating moral lessons.

  • Woodcut Illustrations: The books contained unique woodcut images that were specific to each story and could be reused for various topics, highlighting their versatility.

  • Interchangeability: The illustrations had the ability to be interpreted across different contexts, making them precursors to modern advertising and propaganda images.

  • Reader Engagement: Emblematic books encouraged readers to make sense of the world and dictated how they should act in certain situations, functioning similarly to contemporary propaganda.

  • Non-linear Reading: Unlike narrative fable books, emblem books are read in a non-linear fashion, with readers assembling meaning from fragmented text and images, akin to how advertisements are processed today.

  • Example of Gilles Corrozet’s Emblem: The emblem "La cruauté d’amour" illustrates a naked man afflicted by flames representing passion, while a woman, appearing to offer an olive branch, actually seeks to beat him with a stick—showing how complex meanings can be derived from the imagery and text combined.

  • Visual Hooks: Both emblem books and modern advertisements rely on strong visual images to capture attention and provoke curiosity in the audience.