The Brazilian Pojucan illustrates the edition of “The Art of the Wisdom of the World”, a 17th century Spanish classic

• With a lot of tension and mischief: Brazilian “pulp fiction” recovers the work of a writer who published more than 200 books
• In the book: the photographer documents the Amazon where jaguars fish in the sea and the waters mix with fields of mud several kilometers long

The book deserves a dedication from the reader, not only because it is an attractive object, but also because its 300 aphorisms can bear fruit in more open minds. In these times full of convictions as hermetic as they are ephemeral, the thoughts recorded there are more intriguing than most of the motivational ideas that abound on the Internet. And they can even be boring.

In fact, they were already boring when they were published. So much so that, to avoid problems with the Church, the Jesuit priest Baltasar Gracián, who was the real author of the book, found it more practical to sign the first edition with the name of one of his brothers. Caution was required. The ecclesiastical leadership was not really happy with the wide circulation of worldly, divergent or original opinions, much less within the Jesuit order. To avoid punishment, there was little care. Since Balthazar’s brother was not subject to religious authorities, it was permissible to use his name to hide the identity of a representative of the Church.

A religious person inclined to think for herself, Baltasar lived the calling golden seal from Spain. He was a contemporary of brilliant artists such as the painter Diego Velázquez and the playwright Lope de Vega, among others, who contributed greatly to the formation of a Spanish culture that still resonates today. In the political and economic domain, it witnessed a delicate era of instability and decline of the empire.

However, when it came to conveying his message, the Jesuit was not interested in analyzing big metaphysical or political questions. His goal was the common man, as Pojucan said in his presentation. The book “deals precisely with issues that guide daily life and which, in a rational and thoughtful manner, can serve as a guide for action,” explains the artist. On this page, it must be said, are some of the images he created to decorate the priest’s words, reproduced here in the captions.

Opening minds, sowing common sense and free thought: these are some of Baltasar’s intentions. Hence the historical weight of the work, which deserved a timeless and universal character. Far from going out of fashion, the Jesuit joined the gallery of thinkers who gained the respect of their contemporaries and, later, of philosophers like Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, among others. In other words: don’t throw it away.

“The Art of Worldly Wisdom”