Triomf van de lijdzaamheid (Patientia) 1559 - 1676

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving, "Triomf van de lijdzaamheid," or "The Triumph of Patience," around 1580, presenting a complex allegorical scene in meticulous detail. The composition is strikingly symmetrical, dividing the space between figures pulling and accompanying a central chariot. This is an engraving of an allegorical scene, and the monochrome palette directs our focus to form and line, highlighting the dense cross-hatching that models each figure. The engraving depicts Patientia, or Patience, enthroned on a cart pulled by figures representing Vice. Fortuna, or Fortune, walks alongside, suggesting a world where patience triumphs over both vice and chance. Coornhert uses a semiotic system, where each character is a signifier within a moral and philosophical discourse. The artist destabilizes conventional ideas of power. The visual structure implies that patience, though seemingly passive, exerts a powerful force, subverting the traditional hierarchy. The detailed rendering and symbolic language propose an ongoing interpretation of virtue.