Visioen van de rijke man in de hel 1551

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert's engraving depicts a vision of a wealthy man suffering in hell, a potent symbol of moral reckoning. Observe the chasm of hell dominated by a monstrous Leviathan, and tormented souls. This imagery finds echoes in earlier depictions of the underworld, from ancient Greek portrayals of Hades to medieval Christian visions of hell. The gaping maw of the Leviathan, a recurring motif, speaks to primal fears of annihilation and divine retribution. Interestingly, the motif of the gaping hellmouth appears in various forms, sometimes as a dragon, sometimes as a whale. This transformation reflects a shift in cultural anxieties, yet the underlying message remains: the insatiable, consuming nature of evil. Such images engage us on a deep, subconscious level, tapping into collective memories of punishment and redemption. The artist speaks to the cyclical nature of these symbols, which resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across time.