Vraatzucht 1552

This engraving, Vraatzucht, was crafted in 1552 by Heinrich Aldegrever. It is dominated by the figure of a woman riding a pig, an embodiment of gluttony. She carries a flag emblazoned with a hedgehog. The pig itself has long been a symbol of excess, a motif that echoes through time, from ancient Roman feasts to medieval morality plays. In those plays, the pig often represented the sin of gluttony, a creature driven by base desires, devoid of higher thought. The hedgehog on the flag, often a symbol of greed and self-interest, is a reminder of humanity's darker impulses. These symbols are far from static; they evolve. While the pig may initially represent simple overindulgence, its presence in later works, particularly in times of famine or scarcity, evokes deeper anxieties about survival. The image has a psychological power, tapping into our own subconscious struggles with appetite and control. The cyclical reappearance of the pig is a reminder that our battles with temptation are timeless, ever resurfacing in new forms, mirroring our most primal fears.