Van hoog tot laag wordt de mens beloond voor zijn deugdzaamheid 1604

Editor: Here we have "Van hoog tot laag wordt de mens beloond voor zijn deugdzaamheid," or "From high to low, man is rewarded for his virtue," an engraving made in 1604 by Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by how meticulously detailed the scene is despite the monochrome palette. There's so much going on! How do you even begin to unpack a piece like this? Curator: Ah, it’s a world in a rectangle, isn’t it? When I look at this, I think of theatre. All the world’s a stage, as Shakespeare said, and Dirck seems to agree. The central figure, Fortitude, balances worldly success and the suffering that can come from material focus; and she surveys these different 'stages of man' in the piece. But I’m wondering: What figures strike *you* most? Editor: I'm drawn to the group on the left, by the gate. There's a king, receiving what looks like gifts... and the nude man seems shut out. What’s going on there? Curator: A great question! This piece reads from left to right – earthly rewards are not earned, perhaps, but freely bestowed? I'm interested in how Volckertsz links virtue to prosperity and happiness. Think about the Baroque period. What sort of a statement do you think Dirck is making? Editor: That the key to happiness lies not just in virtue itself, but how others perceive that virtue. Intriguing. Almost cynical! I came in expecting a simple moral lesson and it’s turned into something much more complex. Curator: Exactly! Art often dances in the gray areas, inviting us to see more than just black and white. The engravings of Dirck give insight into cultural beliefs and open us to questions on morality and judgment still very much at play today.