Dwaasheid van tweedracht 1532 - 1590

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert etched this small work, “The Folly of Discord,” sometime before 1590. Note the central figure—an embodiment of discord—clutching two grotesque heads. These are not mere decorations but symbols deeply rooted in the cultural psyche. The heads, contorted in agony and rage, represent the monstrous outcomes of conflict. This motif echoes through history, appearing in ancient Greek tragedies, where masks amplified the emotional intensity of the drama. Consider the composition: the figure strains under the weight of these heads, a visual metaphor for the burden of strife. This echoes the classical image of Atlas bearing the world. Such images tap into our collective memory, evoking a subconscious understanding of the heavy toll that discord takes on humanity. The cyclical nature of these symbols reveals how deeply human experiences resonate across time, continually resurfacing in our art, our dreams, and our collective consciousness.