Gematigdheid 1552

"Gematigdheid" (Moderation) is a 1552 engraving by German Renaissance artist Heinrich Aldegrever. Depicting a female figure holding a staff with a fish on a flag, she stands on a rocky outcrop, representing a sense of groundedness and strength. The inscription below the figure, "Sordidis evacuant mentes et corpora spiritus, / Sobrietas virtus effugie intima malis," (Dirty minds and bodies drive out spirits, temperance, a virtue, flees from the depths of evil) emphasizes the moral message of the artwork. This small, yet detailed work, exemplifies Aldegrever's mastery of line and form, popular in the Northern Renaissance.