Gevolgen van de verspilling in het huwelijk 1595 - 1605

Gillis van Breen created this engraving titled 'Consequences of Wastefulness in Marriage' in the Dutch Republic. The 17th century saw the rise of the Dutch middle class, with its own particular emphasis on family, morality, and domesticity. This image shows a family fallen on hard times. There is an exhausted mother, possibly contemplating pawning her tools, a sleeping father, and a child. The family is cramped in a room that is falling apart. An oil lamp flickers dimly, a symbol of fading hope, and a single owl sits in the shadows, a symbol of bad omens. Images like these were designed to be moral lessons, meant to reinforce the era's social norms. They present a world where financial irresponsibility leads to familial suffering, challenging our perceptions of marriage, parenthood, and economic stability. These stark visual narratives served as warnings against extravagance, urging viewers to reflect on their own behavior and the potential consequences of their actions.