Geestelijke met een roofdier Possibly 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole’s etching, *Geestelijke met een roofdier* (c. 1670-1724), depicts a clergyman with a predatory animal behind him, emphasizing the theme of insatiable greed. The inscription beneath the artwork reads, “Les Indes m’ont fourni des richesses immenses, Cela n’appaise point encor ma grosse faim. Le veux y retourner jusqu’a ce quá la fin. Ie furpasse les Roys par mes magnificenses.” (The Indies have furnished me with immense riches, but that does not appease my great hunger. I want to return until the end. I surpass the kings by my magnificence.) Gole, known for his satirical and allegorical etchings, likely used this image to critique the greed and corruption of the clergy, particularly those involved in the colonial expansion of the Dutch East India Company.