Wisselvalligheid van het lot 1574

"Wisselvalligheid van het lot" (The Fickleness of Fortune), an engraving created in 1574 by Flemish artist Philips Galle, depicts the goddess Fortuna, a personification of luck, standing on a seashell while holding a wheel. The artwork, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum, utilizes dramatic lighting and a dynamic composition to convey the unpredictable and volatile nature of fate. The figure of Fortuna is depicted as powerful but vulnerable, suggesting that fortune can easily be lost or gained. This piece, characteristic of the Northern Renaissance, exemplifies the enduring interest in allegorical imagery and moral lessons.