OMNIS AMATOREM DECVIT COLOR.

[No source given]
Quod cupis, id cupio; quod spernis, sperno: tuumque,
Velle meum velle est, nolleque nolle meum.
Te propter varios, vt Proteus, induo vultus,
Inque modum chamae, crede, leontis ago.

As loue will.

As the camelion is, so must the louer bee,
And oft his colour change, lyke that whereon hee standes,
His louers will his will, her bidding his commaunds,
And altred from himself right altred as is shee.

Com’ Amor vuole.

Come il cameleonte è variante,
Conforme del’ obietto al varia lume:
Cosi l’amante à voglia del suo Nume
Si dee cangiar, & obedir constante.

Soo Liefde wil.

Een minnaer moet ghelijck een chameleon hem toonen/
Verand’rende coleur na ’t gheen daer hy op staet:
Sijn liefkens wil sijn wil/ haer doen moet zijn sijn daedt/
En van hem selfs vervremt in haer verandert woonen.

Selon que veut Madame.

Comme vn Chamaleon le teint de sa peau change,
Selon l’obiects diuers, paroissant tousiours tel:
Ainsi faut qy’vn amant forçant son naturel,
Au muable vouloir de sa Dame se range.

63 ↓

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Facsimile Images

62, LEI:

62, LDF:

62, LIF:

63, pictura:

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Translations

Een minnaar past elke kleur.

Each colour befits a Lover.

Wat jij wenst, wens ik, wat jij afwijst, wijs ik af, jouw wil is mijn wil, wat jij niet wilt, wil ik niet. Om jou neem ik zoals Proteus allerlei gedaanten aan en geloof me, ik gedraag me als een kameleon.

What you long for I long for, what you reject I reject, your wish is my wish and what you do not want I do not want. For you I assume several shapes, like Proteus, and believe me, I act as a chameleon.

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Literature

Henkel and Schöne, Emblemata, col. 666
Discussion of Lohenstein's use of this emblem in Sophonisbe: Schöne, Emblematik und Drama, p. 107
Sebastiàn, Lectura crítica, p. 25

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Sources and parallels

Omnis amatorem decuit color [21] (in: Otto Vaenius, Emblemata aliquot selectiora amatoria (1618)) [Compare]
The chameleon in Alciato: Alciato, Book of Emblems, embl. 53
Parallel for the pictura (background less detailed) and for some mottoes (Latin, Italian, French; the Dutch one not exact) in: Un Cupidon tenant un Cameleon (in: Daniel de la Feuille, Devises et emblemes (1691)) [Compare]
Same motto and subscriptio (in Latin and Italian), different background, Cupid makes eyecontact with the beholder: Omnis Amatorem decuit color. [24] (in: anonymous, Emblemata amatoria (1690)) [Compare]

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References, across this site, to this page:

Omnis Amatorem decuit color. [24] (in: anonymous, Emblemata amatoria (1690))
Un Cupidon tenant un Cameleon (in: Daniel de la Feuille, Devises et emblemes (1691))
Omnis amatorem decuit color [21] (in: Otto Vaenius, Emblemata aliquot selectiora amatoria (1618))

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Iconclass

A cupid holding a chameleon

lizards: chameleon (+ animals used symbolically) [25F41(CHAMELEON)(+1)]
river [25H213]
landscape with tower or castle [25I5]
landscape with bridge, viaduct or aqueduct [25I6]
quiver [45C23]
(personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56F2(+4)]
Benevolence, Beneficence; 'Beneficio', 'Benevolenza o Affettione' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A7(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(OMNIS AMATOREM DECUIT COLOR)]
specific aspects of Cupid [92D17]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(QUIVER)]

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Comments

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Omnis amatorem decuit color [32]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes