Goochelaar 1528 - 1580

Balthazar van den Bos etched "The Magician" in the 16th century, an allegory of deception. Central to the scene is the conjurer, his gesture a ritual, holding an egg. The egg, an ancient symbol of potential and life, appears here as a deceitful object. This motif of trickery reminds us of Bosch, whom the print imitates, and his contemporary Bruegel, whose works teem with similar scenes of human folly. Across time and cultures, the trickster figure appears—from Hermes in Greek mythology to Loki in Norse tales—embodying chaos and the subversion of order. The vomiting woman, robbed by a pickpocket, evokes a primal sense of betrayal. This emotional tableau, repeated throughout art history, reveals our deep-seated fear of being manipulated. These images serve as powerful reminders of our susceptibility to illusion, capturing both the wonder and the danger inherent in the human condition. The motif of the trickster, in a non-linear progression, resurfaces, evolving, and taking on new meanings.