France - Corsica; François de Belleforest - "De l’Isle de Corse"// Vniuerselle, liure II. (Libro Secondo) - Pagina 267 - 1551-1560

The illustration placed at the center of the page is an animated woodcut that can be interpreted and described according to two different readings:

1. Descriptive and Landscape Type (The sea view and the wayfarers)

• In the foreground (on the shore): Two male figures are noted, dressed in long draped garments typical of Renaissance iconography. The man on the left appears to be resting on a traveler’s staff, while the other seems to point to the landscape or converse with him. The shore is characterized by pebbles and stylized vegetation with a small shrub at the left edge.
• In the background (the water’s mirror): The horizon line shows a vast sea expanse crossed by two ships of the era (galleys or merchant sailing ships) with sails set, evoking the island’s commercial traffic or the strong maritime presence of the Republic of Genoa.

The two human figures immersed in a barren nature symbolize the condition of the inhabitants described in the text: a proud, isolated and "wild" population living in a harsh territory, separated from the rest of the continent. The staff evokes the difficult journey on rugged, mountainous land.

Conservation state

Good general condition. Paper shows normal signs of aging. Margins present.
Verso with the original typographic text, as in the volume page. Slight browning and traces of antique coloration.