Het cholerisch temperament 1590 - 1632

Pieter de Jode the First created this print, “The Choleric Temperament,” likely in Antwerp sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. The print allegorically depicts one of the four temperaments in a theory of personality and medicine dating back to antiquity. Here, we see a man and woman embodying choler, associated with anger, violence, and ambition. The man, clad in armor and carrying a spear, strides forward amidst a chaotic scene of burning buildings and battling figures. The woman, equally determined, is laden with spoils like fowl and eggs, and holds a small lion, while a rooster sits on her shoulder. These images reflect the tumultuous social conditions of the time, particularly in the Low Countries, marked by religious conflict, political upheaval, and economic competition. The figure's aggressive posture speaks to a culture steeped in martial values and social strife. Looking into the popular literature of the period, along with medical texts, we can better understand the visual language and its social commentary. The meaning of art is always contingent on its specific social and institutional context.