Triomf van de Faam 1512 - 1549

Pieter Coecke van Aelst created this circular drawing, "Triumph of Fame," using pen and brown ink, accented with gray wash, to produce a composition teeming with figures and symbolic weight. The linear precision defines the forms, organizing the chaos into a structured scene where Fame, trumpeting from her chariot, dominates. The circular format constrains the narrative, intensifying the drama as figures vie for space. The lines create depth through careful hatching and cross-hatching, particularly noticeable in the foreground where fallen figures lie, contrasting sharply with the erect posture of those in Fame's procession. The architecture in the background, although distant, is meticulously rendered, providing a historical anchor to the allegory. This organized chaos, framed within a circle, invites us to consider the structural forces at play—how fame elevates some while inevitably trampling others, a cyclical process visualized by the drawing's very shape.