Uitnodiging van de zieken en armen 1559

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving titled 'Uitnodiging van de zieken en armen,' or 'Invitation to the Sick and Poor.' Living in the Netherlands during the Reformation, Coornhert challenged traditional religious institutions, advocating for individual conscience and social reform. This piece offers a glimpse into the complex interplay between religious belief, social responsibility, and personal identity during this transformative period. The image depicts a figure, possibly an allegorical representation of charity, inviting the ill and impoverished into a grand building. What does it mean to extend an invitation? Who is doing the inviting? What are their motivations, and who is being invited? How do issues of power and privilege shape the act of giving? Coornhert uses the traditional medium of engraving to develop an alternative narrative which asks the viewer to reflect on their social responsibilities. Consider the historical context of social upheaval, religious reformation, and economic inequality that shaped Coornhert's worldview. How does this image prompt us to examine the ways in which we respond to societal needs?