Hij, die de naam verdient van vrek of gierigaard, / Is, zoo als 't hier verbeeldt, geen eer maar schande waard! / Maakt, kindren! goed gebruik van 't geen u toebehoort! / tracht, dat verkwisting nooit uw waar geluk verstoort! 1831 - 1854

This hand-colored etching was made by Jacob Coldewijn in the Netherlands, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It presents a series of sequential images accompanied by text, forming a moralistic narrative. It tells the story of a miser whose greed leads to his demise, serving as a cautionary tale for children about the dangers of avarice and the importance of using one's possessions wisely. The narrative unfolds across twelve panels, each depicting a stage in the miser's downfall. Through visual cues and textual annotations, the print critiques the accumulation of wealth at the expense of ethical behavior. The Rijksmuseum's acquisition of this print speaks to the institution's role in preserving and interpreting cultural artifacts that reflect societal values. To fully understand Coldewijn's print, we might consult archival records, conduct comparative analyses of similar moralizing prints, and examine the socio-economic conditions of the Netherlands during this period. Art history reveals how cultural values are embedded in art and how institutions shape our understanding of the past.