Gierigheid 1575

This engraving titled 'Gierigheid', or 'Avarice', was created by an anonymous artist. The artwork presents an allegorical figure representing greed, a prevalent theme in the moralizing art of its time. The female figure is adorned in classical garb and jewelry, with a money bag clutched in her hand. She is seated beside a treasure chest and overlooked by a bundle of sticks. Avarice, a concept loaded with cultural and religious significance, often intersects with gendered expectations of female virtue, and the dangers of excess. The image prompts us to consider how greed is depicted and morally judged within a society structured by wealth and gender. The artist leaves us to contemplate the ethics of accumulation and the personal cost of valuing material wealth above all else.