The title page of the book "The Theater of Men of Outstanding Erudition"

The German lawyer Paul Freher (1571-1625) is best known for his extensive biobibliographic work, “Theatrum Virorum Eruditione Singulari Clarorum.“ It is a collection of almost 3,000 biographies with more than 1,300 portraits. It consists of biographies of theologians, lawyers, physicians and philosophers from various European countries, including Poland. A frontispise* depicts four allegorical figures with the titles: orando (Latin: praying) for theologians, sanando (Latin: healing) for physicians, philosophando (Latin: philosophizing) for philosophers, and iudicando (Latin: judging) for lawyers. The book was illustrated by the following German artists: Johann Franck (c. 1627-?), Joachim von Sandrart (1606-1688), Philipp Kilian (1628-1693), and Johann Hoffman.