Invidia 1548 - 1549

Heinrich Aldegrever's "Invidia" (1548-1549) is a small, finely detailed engraving depicting the personified figure of Envy. Envy, depicted as a woman, stands with a snake-like creature in her left hand, a symbol of her malicious nature. She is also seen with a staff and a skull under her foot, further representing the deadly effects of her envious nature. The artwork’s small size (70 mm x 50 mm) allows for intimate viewing and a focus on the detail of the engraving. Aldegrever, a master of the Northern Renaissance, uses this artwork to explore the dangers of envy in a way that is both visual and symbolic.