Avarice, from the Vices 1552

Editor: This engraving from 1552 by Heinrich Aldegrever, titled "Avarice, from the Vices", feels quite unsettling. The figure at the center looks almost triumphant, but the animals surrounding them seem predatory. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Note how the artist uses a stark contrast between light and shadow. The composition directs our eye immediately to the central female figure, standing rigidly, holding what appears to be a staff or spear. The textures, created by the engraving technique, add to the unsettling feeling you describe. What effect do you think that contrast has on the narrative being presented? Editor: I think the deep shadows create a sense of depth and make the figures almost leap off the paper. It really emphasizes the tension between the central figure and the…well, all the creatures that seem to be grabbing for something. Curator: Precisely. See how Aldegrever has positioned her above a wolf, and other rapacious beasts – predatory attributes emphasized through intricate cross-hatching. The artist uses vertical and diagonal lines in the shading to heighten the drama, almost a theatrical spotlight on the scene, drawing focus onto the allegory's components. How does this technique enhance your interpretation? Editor: The diagonal shading makes everything look sharper, somehow. And the cross-hatching on the wolf emphasizes its fur but also its aggressive stance. So, technically, the composition reinforces the idea of insatiable desire, or "Avarice" in this case. Curator: Yes. And what do you think the text beneath adds to the picture, considering all those sharp contrasts and diagonal lines we talked about? Editor: Well, I can’t read Latin, but from everything you’ve said, I'm guessing it is emphasizing the sin? Overall, the piece’s strength comes from how these techniques work together to make the artwork very visceral and disturbing. Curator: A fitting end, indeed! Aldegrever employed the tools of formalism to achieve a compelling artwork of allegory. Editor: It certainly gives a new appreciation for what technique brings to allegorical content.