Nederigheid overwint de Hoogmoed 1550 - 1625

Pieter Jalhea Furnius created this print, "Humility Overcoming Pride," sometime in the late 16th century. The composition is dominated by a vertical figure who gazes downward, her body softly lit, contrasting with the fragmented, shadowed figure beneath her. The formal arrangement invites a reading of hierarchical relationships. A complex interplay of light and shadow defines the figures, creating a visual hierarchy that equates lightness with virtue and darkness with vice. This symbolic use of light, deeply entrenched in Western art, reinforces the print's moral message. The lines are finely etched, creating a dense network that adds texture and depth, emphasizing the contrast between the smooth, flowing drapery of Humility and the broken, angular forms surrounding Pride. Consider how Furnius uses these visual elements to not just depict, but also to advocate for a particular worldview. The artwork acts as a site where the formal qualities intersect with cultural and philosophical ideas, inviting the viewer to consider how power and meaning are constructed through visual representation.