Open in IIIF viewer — deep-zoom & compare

Fortuna

[“Dummodo velis”]

Catalogue ID	1.43
Artist	Master of the Roman Songbook (1650-1660); Domenico Jacovacci (1604-1661)
Object type	drawing
Date	[1625] 1655
Place	Rome
Collection	Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Rome)
Inv. no.	Ott.lat.2549
Tech. / support	black ink, brown ink, graphite, paper, pen
Measures	350 × 230 mm
Subject	25H23 — sea (seascape) 46C24 — sailing-ship, sailing-boat 54F12 — Luck, Fortune, Lot; 'Fato', 'Fortuna', 'Fortuna aurea', 'Fortuna buona', 'Fortuna pacifica overo clemente', 'Sorte' (Ripa)

Seascape with Fortune standing on a sphere on which is inscribed: 1625. The date, as the motto on the sail held by the personification of Fortune, is a later addition.

The Latin motto “Dummodo velis” can be translated into English as: "Provided that you are willing" or "As long as you want it." It can be understood as an encouragement or a philosophical observation: If you truly desire it, it is possible or Your will is the necessary condition. In 1625, Domenico Jacovacci obtained the title of Count of Calatrava.

Music

References

Provenance

No musical work linked.

Bianco, Anna. Images for the Music: Drawings and secular cantatas. Ph.D. dissertation, Leiden University, 2025

Guerrieri Borsoi, Maria Barbara. Domenico Jacovacci: collezionista e maestro delle strade nella Roma berniniana. Gangemi, 2017. (p. 21)

Guerrieri Borsoi, Maria Barbara. “La Decorazione Dei Manoscritti Di Domenico Jacovacci Nel Fondo Ottoboniano Latino Della Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.” Miscellanea Bibliothecae Apostolicae Vaticanae, vol. XXII, 2015, pp. 373-431. (p. 406)

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana current

Proportions

Fortuna

Related images